Posted on 03/17/2006 10:28:06 PM PST by nickcarraway
There was a big "Coca-Cola" sign on the refrigerator, but all it held was bottled water and juice. The menu offered sandwiches on eight-grain bread. The lunch ladies were pushing salad.
The cafeteria at the William E. Cottle Elementary School has undergone a nutritious change this year, and Congresswoman Nita Lowey chose it as the setting Friday for an announcement of legislation aimed at battling obesity in children.
"The exploding rate of obesity is one of the most serious health issues our nation faces," said Lowey, a Democrat who represents parts of Westchester and Rockland counties. She said the health problems caused by obesity, such as heart attacks, diabetes and asthma, cost the nation $117 billion a year.
Her Stop Obesity in Schools Act would provide federal funding to local school districts to develop nutrition policies, as the Cottle school has done. It would also increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention so the CDC could give technical assistance and measure the policies' effectiveness.
Lowey said she did not yet know what the bill would cost taxpayers, but added, "What's more fiscally conservative than attacking these health care costs?"
She said that during a recent trip the Walt Disney World with some of her grandchildren, she noticed that "dozens of people" were being pushed through the parks in wheelchairs _ "not because they were injured or sick but they just couldn't walk because they were obese."
Mary Ann McCann, one of the school's food workers, said soda and doughnuts had been ousted from the cafeteria, which serves kindergartners through fifth-graders in the Tuckahoe school district, "and we try to get the kids to take the fruit, the vegetables, the salad. "
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Why Johnny can't read.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Great
The food pyramid from a crooked Socialist
Guess they never thought of giving recess and gym back 5 times a week.
Get the kids interested in sandlot sports again and they will be healthy again. In the summer I remember leaving the house at 11am going to the park and playing football, baseball, or basketball whatever was "goin on" that day and not coming home till like 6-8pm looking for dinner. Today kids sit at home all day eat and play video games.
I don't know about other places; but in my area, kids aren't aloud to play on the fields unless they have a permit from the town or county.
what? no parks? backyards?
Is Orlando the site of some World Fatties Conference? I've never come across any significant number of fatties in wheelchairs.
In my area, the backyards are small. The fields are IN the parks and kids are chased off unless they have a permit.
Five year olds shouldn't have to be worrying about what to eat. The parents should be doing that.
I'd like to ask the schools how long each day the kids have Physical Education. It used to be every day for 45 minutes when I was teaching it.
A lot of schools cut it back to 3 days a week later on and I don't know what it is now. If they have a recess they aren't allowed to run and chase for fear of getting hurt.
Liberals are stupid!
Exactly, wouldn't want those fat little kids to sweat. It might make them uncomfortable that they were fat, yada, yada.
where do you live? that sounds weird
Gym here is cut back to once a week.
Ping to #12. I saw your post after I had posted!
One day, I had a large breakfast, so I just brought a role and a granola bar for lunch. Lo and behold, the school principle saw me empty my bag and approached me. She asked why I didn't have a "hot lunch." I told her that it was my business (I was quite a hothead even back then) what I packed, not hers. She then grabbed me by the arm and took me to the lunch line to buy a lunch. When I refused, she took me to her office and called my mother. She explained that we needed to keep within state health guidelines when it came to packing lunches.
From that day on, I developed a HATRED for the Nanny State that persists to this day.
One day, I had a large breakfast, so I just brought a role and a granola bar for lunch. Lo and behold, the school principle saw me empty my bag and approached me. She asked why I didn't have a "hot lunch." I told her that it was my business (I was quite a hothead even back then) what I packed, not hers. She then grabbed me by the arm and took me to the lunch line to buy a lunch. When I refused, she took me to her office and called my mother. She explained that we needed to keep within state health guidelines when it came to packing lunches.
From that day on, I developed a HATRED for the Nanny State that persists to this day.
BTW: This was in New York.
NJ suburbs. Pretty much consitent throughout the counties I have been in.
Permits are a source of review and the front excuse is liability.
LOL, I had just pinged you. Once a week is unbelievable, what do they expect to happen by doing that? Kids need to run and play. Our world is getting crazy.
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