Flickr photo by USDAgov shared with no copyright restrictions using Creative Commons Public Domain Mark (PDM)

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

Download PDF

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.

---

-Read the full article through download.-

Download PDF

---

References

1. Arlinghaus, Katherine R., and Craig A. Johnston. 2017. “Advocating for Behavior Change With Education.” American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 12 (2): 113–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827617745479 
2. Bass, Rosara, and Ihuoma Eneli. 2015. “Severe Childhood Obesity: An under-Recognised and Growing Health Problem.” Postgraduate Medical Journal 91 (1081): 639–45. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26338983/ 
3. Birch, Leann Lipps, Sheryl Itkin Zimmerman, and Honey Hind. 1980. “The Influence of Social-Affective Context on the Formation of Children’s Food Preferences.” Child Development 51 (3): 856–61. https://doi.org/10.2307/1129474 
4. Booker, Cory A. 2020. Food and Nutrition Education in Schools Act of 2020. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate- bill/3293?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Nutrition+Education+Act%22%5D%7D &s=2&r=1 
5. Cartwright, Matt. 2020. Nutrition Education Act. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th- congress/housebill/5892?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Nutrition+Education+Act%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=2  
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019. “Overweight and Obesity: Strategies to Prevent Obesity.” 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/strategies/index.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020. “Overweight & Obesity: Adult Obesity Facts.” 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html 
7. Crockett, S. J., R. M. Mullis, and C. L. Perry. 1988. “Parent Nutrition Education: A Conceptual Model.” The Journal of School Health 58 (2): 53–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746- 1561.1988.tb05822.x 
8. Gordon-Larsen, Penny, Natalie S. The, and Linda S. Adair. 2010. “Longitudinal Trends in Obesity in the United States From Adolescence to the Third Decade of Life.” Obesity 18: 1801–4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20035278/ 
9. Guerra, Paulo Henrique, Moacyr Roberto Cuce Nobre, Jonas Augusto Cardoso da Silveira, and José Augusto Aguiar Carrazedo Taddei. 2014. “School-Based Physical Activity and Nutritional Education Interventions on Body Mass Index: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Community Trials - Project PANE.” Preventive Medicine 61 (April): 81–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.01.005 
10. Johnson, Suzanne Bennett. 2012. “The Nation’s Childhood Obesity Epidemic: Health Disparities in the Making.” American Psychological Association. 2012. https://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/newsletter/2012/07/childhood-obesity 
11. Jones, Anna Marie, and Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr. 2015. “Exploring Nutrition Education Resources and Barriers, and Nutrition Knowledge in Teachers in California.” Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 47 (2): 162–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2014.06.011
12. Lakkakula, Anantha, James Geaghan, Michael Zanovec, Sarah Pierce, and Georgianna Tuuri. 2010. “Repeated Taste Exposure Increases Liking for Vegetables by Low-Income Elementary School Children.” Appetite 55 (2): 226–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2010.06.003 
13. Mc Morrow, L., A. Ludbrook, J. I. Macdiarmid, and D. Olajide. 2017. “Perceived Barriers towards Healthy Eating and Their Association with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption.” Journal of Public Health (Oxford, England) 39 (2): 330–38. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdw038 
14. Murimi, Mary W., Ana Florencia Moyeda-Carabaza, Bong Nguyen, Sanjoy Saha, and Valentine Njike. 2018. “Factors That Contribute to Effective Nutrition Education Interventions in Children: A Systematic Review.” Nutrition Reviews 76 (8): 553–80. 
15. National Center for Education Statistics. 2018. “TALIS 2018 Results.” 2018. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019132.pdf 
16. Ratcliffe, Michelle M., Kathleen A. Merrigan, Beatrice L. Rogers, and Jeanne P. Goldberg. 2011. “The Effects of School Garden Experiences on Middle School-Aged Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Associated With Vegetable Consumption.” Health Promotion 12 (1): 36–43. 
17. Scaglioni, Silvia, Chiara Arrizza, Fiammetta Vecchi, and Sabrina Tedeschi. 2011. “Determinants of Children’s Eating Behavior.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 94 (6 Suppl): 2006S-2011S. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.110.001685 
18. Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore. 2009. “Do School Lunches Contribute to Childhood Obesity?” The Journal of Human Resources 44 (3): 694–709. 
19. United States Department of Agriculture. 2019. “National School Lunch Program.” 2019. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/child-nutrition-programs/national-school-lunch-program/ 
20. Walker, Renee E., Christopher R. Keane, and Jessica G. Burke. 2010. “Disparities and Access to Healthy Food in the United States: A Review of Food Deserts Literature.” Health & Place 16 (5): 876–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.04.013 
21. Ward, Zachary J., Michael W. Long, Stephen C. Resch, Catherine M. Giles, Angie L. Cradock, and Steven L. Gortmaker. 2017. “Simulation of Growth Trajectories of Childhood Obesity into Adulthood.” New England Journal of Medicine 377 (22): 2145–53. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1703860 
22. Wardle, J., M.-L. Herrera, L. Cooke, and E. L. Gibson. 2003. “Modifying Children’s Food Preferences: The Effects of Exposure and Reward on Acceptance of an Unfamiliar Vegetable.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 57 (2): 341–48. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601541 
23. Williams, Andrew James, William E. Henley, Craig Anthony Williams, Alison Jane Hurst, Stuart Logan, and Katrina Mary Wyatt. 2013. “Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association between Childhood Overweight and Obesity and Primary School Diet and Physical Activity Policies.” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 10 (1): 101. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-101 
24. World Health Organization. 2020. “Why Does Childhood Overweight and Obesity Matter?” 2020. https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood_consequences/en/ 

---

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.

---

DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

ISSN 2372-2193