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Ed Andrieski / AP
Maria Salas prepares salads for lunch in the kitchen at Kepner Middle School in Denver on Wednesday,
Colorado lawmakers are considering whether to require school districts to do away with margarine, vegetable shortening and other trans fats in what would be the nation’s toughest ban on unhealthy fats in school foods.
The proposal comes as federal authorities are already taking steps to minimize the amount of trans fat in schools as part of an overall plan to improve the health and nutrition of school lunches. Health experts have long warned that the consumption of trans fat, also known as partially hydrogenated oil, increases the risk of coronary heart disease. The American Heart Association, for example, recommends limiting the intake of trans fat to no more than 2 grams per day, about the amount found naturally in milk and meat.
“This would put Colorado one step of what’s going to happen,” said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “The USDA is going to do this nationally.”
But sponsors of the bill in Colorado say they don’t want to wait. The state, despite its reputation for being one of the healthiest in the nation, has one of the higher rates of childhood obesity, with 14.2 percent of children and adolescents considered obese.
“We’re trying to address that,” said state Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs.
Many school districts are already limiting the amount of trans fat in their school lunches by baking instead of frying potatoes or serving non-breaded meat products and increasing the amount of vegetables and whole grains on the menu.
But Colorado’s ban would go one step further than other states by applying the law to breakfasts and after-school snacks served in schools. California, for example, bans trans fats during the school day but not during after-school events. Delaware also has a ban, but it doesn’t apply to school breakfasts or snacks.
State Sen. Lucia Guzman, D-Denver, said she was glad to hear that the federal government was taking steps to remove trans fat from school lunches but that a new state law would protect the health of Colorado youngsters even sooner, particularly since many children eat breakfast and lunch at school, and then go to district-sponsored programs at the end of the school day where they are served a snack.
“They’re eating more of their meals in a school setting than they are at home,” she said.
Neither Guzman nor Massey say they’ve seen any organized opposition to the proposal so far, but the track record for such legislation is not encouraging. Six other states last year considered but did not approve school trans fat bans, according to a recent report by the Associated Press, citing the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Regardless of what happens this spring in Colorado, school districts across the country should anticipate major changes in the school lunch program this fall under new rules expected soon from the USDA. The result will be twice as many fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, all low-fat milk and less salt on the menu.
“Under the new standard, school meals will get much better,” Wootan said.
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Sounds like a "no brainer" to me......although it might help encourage "donations" from certain interest groups to legislators.....
Where in the Constitution does it give the government at any level the right to infringe on our daily lives to the point of telling us what to eat?
What will be next? The government will tell us how many times we can go to the toilet to discharge what they told us we could eat? Sound ludicrous? You should see what used to sound ludicrous back in the '60's that is happening today.
Who do you think runs and operates public schools? Should the feds be doing it? No. Should local and state governments be deciding things about their schools? Yes.
Guess you missed yesterday's article about the teacher that only allows kids 3 bathroom breaks a week during class periods.
That's why government should not be operating schools at all.
fat chance of it making much difference... paying people more so they could afford healthier food might do more...
They have to eliminate high fructose corn syrup to make it meaningful or they are just wasting their time.
Trans fats are singled out (as opposed to other "bad for you" foods and unhealthy habits) because of their really bad clogging effect on our blood vessels. No one is arguing that trans-fats aren't all that bad because the evidence is overwhelming that they are. The opposition comes because replacing trans fats with less harmful fats is expensive. It almost always boils down to $$$.
My kids don't like the new healthy foods in school, but they do say they have more flavor. Trans fats are bad because they can't be used by our bodies, but they don't pass through our digestive systems, but are absorbed. They just build up without being used up. I am glad I didn't eat a lot of fries during the 70's, 80's, 90's or 00's. They just didn't taste good to me. Now with the no trans fat fries, they taste bette to me and I eat some once in a while.
Unless the school district wants to provide my children with lunches, they can go phuck themselves, Who the hell made these aholes my childrens dietician. If I decide to feed my kids certain types of foods, its MY choice. Soon enough we won;t have any rights left in this country unless we the people stand up for ourselves and tell them NO, no you can;t come into my life and decide what I should be doing. Certainly sounds like we are becoming the Old Soviet Union.
Glad I'm able to home school my two kids. Where we can teach the truth and have great meals. Public school is getting more and more like communism due to the inept leadership of our government at this time. In fact, I believe that "public" school was a socialist idea in the first place. I thank God for my freedoms, and my family, and look forward to raising my children in truth, and to walk with the Lord in their lives.
I believe there is a serious PARENTING problem here. There is no reason to ask your government for much of anything except national defense. Be responsible you liberal idiots.
Yes home school your love ones cause you don't know what is being put in these lunches that is given in the schools these days. Half the food is thrown away what a shame. These childern don't eat most of the crapt that are fed to them.
I sincerely hope this legislation is passed. I teach in a Colorado public school with a large number (over 90%) of low-income students that receive free lunches, and what is fed to them is terrible. The lunch highlight for this past week was mozzarella sticks (as the entree), marinara sauce (as the vegetable - thanks Congress), tater tots (double vegetables!), and jello fruit salad.
Well when the govrnment tell you just what you can and cannot do then don't bitch cause it'll b to late sucker.
My question is, why have trans fats already been banned in restaurants, but not in public schools? A trans fat ban should have happened in all public schools across the US years ago. This is just plain sad. Just goes to show how backwards the country's priorities really are...
I have started a petition on change.org against the amendment to senate bill 68. The bill was changed to exclude half of the districts in the state. If you support all students and their health please sign this petition!