Child Obesity Rates Ignored, Millburn, NJ School Profits $20K Selling Junk Food - MeMe Roth Proposes Millburn Board of Ed Adopt State's Child Nutrition Code
White Bagels and Pringles Served as Most Profitable Meal While NJ Child Obesity Rate Soars to 40%. Parent and anti-obesity advocate, MeMe Roth said, “Anything allowed into our schools should be healthy and a benefit to children. I propose the Millburn Board of Education adopt NJ’s Child Nutrition Code.”
Millburn, NJ (PRWEB) April 19, 2005 -- Ignoring New Jersey's and national
child obesity figures, Millburn, NJ's Board of Education refuses to hear
proposal to adopt the NJ Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Code. The
code calls for eliminating candy, all food where sugar is the first ingredient,
high-fat and transfat foods, as well as empty calorie foods during the school
day. This “junk food” could neither be sold nor given away to students. The
state’s code encourages fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and other
healthy choices.
With fewer than 5% of Millburn's children requiring a
free or subsidized lunch, the Millburn Board of Education is not required to
conform to the state’s nutrition code. The proposal before Superintendent
Richard L. Brodow is to:
1- Voluntarily adopt the state's Child Nutrition
Code
2- Provide parents permission slips in advance when food is part of an
academic, enriching or cultural lesson plan.
Parent and anti-obesity
advocate, MeMe Roth said, “Anything allowed into our schools should be healthy
and a benefit to children. Given the alarming numbers released by the state of
NJ - 40% of sixth-graders overweight or obese - It is urgent that our schools
make some creative and positive changes in Millburn. Under our watch, we can do
great things for the long-term health of our children. I propose the Millburn
Board of Education adopt NJ's Child Nutrition Code.”
Fast Facts:
·
MeMe Roth, a Millburn parent and anti-obesity advocate, organized a 4-week
healthy lunch pilot with Whole Foods Market in the Fall. Approx 100 out of 300
students participated. All food was free of transfat, antibiotics, artificial
coloring or flavors, synthetic hormones, nitrates, nitrites, etc. All bread and
pasta were whole wheat. Each meal was accompanied with fresh fruit and
vegetables. The majority of children liked the lunch, especially the organic
turkey dogs served on a whole-wheat bun. The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
conducted a survey that concluded children preferred junk food lunches instead -
and that junk food is much cheaper than healthy.
· The most profitable
lunch regularly served is a white bagel (cream cheese, butter or plain) and a
side of Pringles. The most recent lunch served was a white bagel with a side of
Rice Krispie Treat. Dessert is served with every PTO lunch.
· The
principal deferred responsibility to the PTO. The PTO co-president said, "we
aren't serving heroin" to the children. Superintendent Brodow requested two
months to find out what food is being served in his five elementary schools. The
NJ Dept of Education said it doesn't fall under their authority. The NJ Dept of
Agriculture said it will not fall under their forthcoming amended Child
Nutrition Code, which will essentially ban candy, sugar treats, high-fat and
empty calorie food given away or sold to children during the school
day.
· The school raises $20K of profit selling the junk food lunches.
It's the school's number one fundraiser for the year.
· This generation
of children is the first to be given a lesser life expectancy than their
parents. This reduced life expectancy is due to obesity related health issues:
diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.
ABOUT MEME ROTH
MeMe Roth is
host and organizer of the Wedding Gown Challenge. As an anti-obesity advocate,
Ms. Roth’s efforts to eliminate junk food from schools and to celebrate women
committed to remaining fit have been featured on Fox’s Your World with Neil
Cavuto, New York Magazine, The New York Post, Playboy Magazine, The New Jersey
Star-Ledger, WABCRadio, Q104.3, Parents Magazine, Vicinity Magazine, School
Administrator, American School Board Journal, The Winnipeg Sun, UPN Channel 9
News, Baristanet.com, The Item, WCRN Boston, BigFatBlog and Health Magazine. http://weddinggownchallenge.blogspot.com/
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb230477.htm