Changes are being made to address health threats caused by childhood obesity

BY BOB ANN BRELAND

THE DAILY NEWS

Obesity in children is on the rise, and parents and others are being urged to provide healthy food and to encourage physical activity. Above, fifth grader Catherine Johnson gets a serving of rice and gravy from cafeteria worker Sharon Smith at Columbia Street Magnet School. Advertisement

Editor's Note: This is the first of a three-part series on what is being done locally and nationally to combat the growing trend of obesity in children. Look for the second part next Monday.

BOGALUSA - There's a lot of concern locally and nationally about obesity in children and the incredible associated health risks, as children who are obese tend to become fat adults.

The National Institutes of Health estimates that about one out of five U.S. children are obese, a problem that may lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

According to Marsha Newman, director of food services with the Washington Parish School System, these risks are the reason so many changes have been made in school lunch programs over the past several years.

This is echoed by Bogalusa Schools Food Service Director Joannie Miller, who said among other things, they are required to target fat in the diet of school children at under 30 percent.

"We can meet that percentage if we don't have a lot of fried foods," Newman said.

The only foods they fry in local schools at the present time are French fries and they are searching for an alternative that can be baked instead of fried - one that the children will accept. Fries are a favorite food of school children.

Another favorite is pizza, which is made using cheese made from skim milk and low-fat pepperoni - and the children are only served one piece of pizza.

"Chocolate milk is the favorite milk of students and now the are getting chocolate or strawberry milk with only ½ percent milk fat. They like chocolate best and for about a year there was a lot of hoop-la about the change to the lower fat, but they got used to it," Newman said.

"I believe the number one factor for obesity in children is the sedentary lifestyle, followed by diet," Miller said. "Children go home and watch TV or sit at the computer playing games instead of going outside and riding a bike or some other activity.

"All our school meals - breakfast and lunch - are required to have a certain number of nutrients for students by age and grade. We offer them meals that provide for their growth and development at their particular stage."

In was interesting to discover that all food used in the local school lunch programs are formulated especially for school children, as mandated by the USDA and are lower in sodium, cholesterol and fat.

Both Miller and Newman plan menus for their schools, putting everything together strictly with the children in mind.

"Every child is different and each has different needs," Miller said. "We offer them food that provides for their necessary growth and development at a particular stage."

She also said children don't have to eat the school meals. They have the option of bringing foods from home or buying snacks from the concession stand.

"We try to give them the nourishment they need at school, but we don't have a clue as to what they eat at home, whether it is healthy food or just fast food," she commented, adding that although the school food is geared for the students and not adults, there are teachers who do eat lunch with the children.

Newman and Miller both belong to a consortium of sorts. They have joined with school food directors from Tangipahoa, Livingston, Zachary and St. Charles, to meet frequently and compare notes, test products, compare prices and even sometimes bid together to get the best price for some items, spending their money wisely.

They also may work together to process some of their commodities to make them more kid-friendly. For instance, as a group they may buy ground meat in bulk and then have it processed into meat patties or meatballs specifically formulated for a child's plate.

"This is a tremendous market as millions of school meals are served every day across the country," Miller said. "The vendors are looking at everything - carbs, fat, sodium - everything and all the food we get has child nutrition labels that meet government standards.

"Of course there are other factors that go into planning menus. No matter how nutritious, if the students won't eat it, it doesn't help them. So we also have to plan food that they like and is pleasing to the eye, with good color and texture and many other factors, " she added.

In parish high schools, the students can select a pre-plated chef salad or chicken or tuna salad, as it is different every day. Yogurt is served as dessert and according to Newman, the children really like the "Gogurt" which is yogurt in a push-up container.

She also commented that a lot of kids don't drink milk and unless they have a specified milk allergy and get a substitute with their meals, they have to buy either bottled water or juice.

"We are mandated by USDA guidelines, which are getting stricter," Newman commented. "We have good participation in the lunch program -- 90 percent of students parish-wide.

Breakfast is also served in the parish schools and they offer different things, including dry cereal, toast, cinnamon toast, oatmeal, baked doughnuts, muffins, eggs and a sausage biscuit made with chicken sausage - which is baked, not fried.

Newman said in the parish, there is 60 percent participation with the breakfast program, more so in elementary grades than in high school.

Obesity of children is a serious enough problem across the country that a group of Georgia legislators have introduced a bill requiring that school children be weighed twice a year, with their body mass index listed on report cards along with their academic grades. The system is already being used in Arkansas and lawmakers in New York and Texas are considering similar plans, for children from kindergarten through 12th grades.

Parents whose children tip the scales above a healthy body mass index would also be given health information about the risks of being overweight.

It would be up to schools how to weigh and measure their pupils, with no requirement that it be done by a school nurse.

Some thing this type of program could save money eventually in lower health care costs. Other things to be considered are removing soft drink machines in public schools and instituting more physical education classes.

While it seems much is being done to halt the rise of obesity in children, there is still much to be done and a long way yet to go.

NEXT: Health programs in local schools.