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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 17, Issue 02 | October 12, 2020

Policy Memo: From Cafeteria to Community: Amending the National School Lunch Act to Promote Healthy Eating in Children

Kathryn Pluta (1), Kimberly R. More (1), Abigail Boyd (2), Scott Le (4), Chinwendu Ozoh (2), Ryan E. Ditchfield (1)
  1. Iowa State University, Department of Psychology, Ames, IA
  2. Iowa State University, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Ames, IA
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG170211
Keywords: health equity; health policy; health advocacy; COVID-19; healthcare reform; HHS
Executive Summary: Childhood obesity is a serious health problem in the United States that affects millions of children and adolescents. Obese children are more prone to chronic illnesses, and these risks persist into adulthood. The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) sought to promote better nutrition among children, especially those who may otherwise not have access to healthy meals, by providing lunches that meet defined nutritional standards. Despite this effort, obesity rates continue to rise and there is little evidence favoring the effectiveness of the National School Lunch Act in reducing obesity incidence among children. Recently, policymakers proposed expanding nutrition education efforts to the classroom to address the current limitations of the National School Lunch Act (i.e., H.R.5892 and S.3293). However, education efforts alone are insufficient to foster long-lasting healthy eating patterns among children. Therefore, we propose that Congress amend the National School Lunch Act to include three evidence-based approaches: a 50-hour education program (H.R.5892), equitable partnerships between schools, local businesses and nonprofit organizations (S.3293), and a community engagement program designed to impact dietary behavior beyond the classroom.

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Kathryn Pluta is a PhD student at Iowa State University studying Social and Health Psychology. Her research focuses on development of health behavior change interventions for both healthy and chronic illness populations.
 
Kimberly R. More obtained her PhD in Health and Social Psychology from Iowa State University in 2020. Her research focuses on mechanisms of health behavior initiation and maintenance.
Abigail Boyd is a PhD student at Iowa State University studying Food Science and Technology. Her research focuses on mechanisms of immune modulation by plant sterols. She holds a BA in Biological Sciences from Northwestern University.
 
Scott Le is a Masters student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies program at Iowa State University studying lifestyle and genetic factors that contribute to brain health. He holds a BS in Biology from the University of North Florida.
 
Chinwendu Ozoh is a PhD student at Iowa State University studying Food Science and Technology. Her research focuses on food safety intervention.
 
Ryan Ditchfield is a PhD student at Iowa State University studying Social and Legal Psychology. His research focuses on decision making and behavior within the justice system.
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