Harkin and Murkowski take bold approach to nutrition at public schools

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski are introducing a bill called the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act.  The measure would make school venders obliged to follow the Department of Agriculture's nutrition standards.  As the latest edition of Newsweek said, "Move over, French fries. Fruit cups may soon be the side of choice—during school hours, at least."

In a press release two weeks ago, Senator Murkowski announced her motivation in co-sponsoring this bill:

“As a parent of school-age children, I know first-hand of the poordietary temptations that are readily available to children each day atschool.  We all know the problem, and we all know that eating the right amountof healthy foods and getting enough exercise are the answers topreventing overweight, obesity and all the related serious healthproblems and costs."

Senator Harkin, who wrote the bill, agreed:

“Selling junk food in schoolsundercuts our investment in school meal programs, and steers kidstoward a future of obesity and diet-related disease. Congress can'tstand idly by while our kids are preyed upon by junk-food marketers."

From the perspective of a college student that not too long ago ate cafeteria food in high school, I noticed that the classmates of mine who ate candy and pop for lunch were the same individuals who had trouble paying attention in class.  The more we let chemicals like sugar reduce the learning potential of our children, the less output our society will get in our investment in public education.  Obesity is a whole other concern, and a serious one.  But when the foods we feed students are minimizing their learning potential, a bill like the one Tom Harkin and Lisa Murkowski are proposing is needed.