When is the last time you saw an advertisement for fruits and vegetables?
Soda, chips, hot dogs, french fries and pizza are some of the main lunch items that are served in school cafeterias. Sodas are the leading source of added sugar in children's diets.
Endocrinologist, professor, and author, Dr. Francine R. Kaufman, MD, points out that the National School Lunch Program, which was established in the 1950's to provide nutritious meals at a low subsidized price, has been augmented over time and in many cases supplanted by what are termed "competitive foods."
"Competitive foods" compete with USDA meals and are sold at the snack line in the cafeteria and in vending machines in schools.
Who has allowed our schools to be infiltrated by giant corporations?
The food industry should be held accountable to promote healthier choices rather than contributing to a widespread epidemic.
Happily, as Dr. Kaufman points out, some enlightened school districts have begun to fight back. She also shares the things you can do as a parent and as a part of society to prevent and reverse these unhealthy trends.
Francine Ratner Kaufman, M.D., was director of the Comprehensive Childhood Diabetes Center, and head of the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles until 2009 when she stepped down to become Chief Medical Officer and VP of Global Clinical, Medical and Health affairs at Medtronic Diabetes (Northridge, CA). Dr. Kaufman is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Pediatrics and Communications at the Keck School of Medicine and the Annenberg School of Communications of the University of Southern California, and an attending physician at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.