Can Elementary School lunches play a significant role in causing childhood Obesity?

Dramatistic Pentad Act: Serving elementary students lunch at school Agent: Elementary students, ‘Lunch Ladies’, Parents, food companies, healthcare providers Agency: The Elementary School, Food provider Scence: Cafeteria, Classrooms Purpose: To provide a nutrition filled meal at lunch time that appeals to elementary students.

Search Queries “ Elementary School Lunch” and “Obesity" “Elementary School Lunch" and "Education“ “Elementary School Lunch" and "Physical Activity“ “Elementary School Lunch" and "Cost of Lunch” “Elementary School Lunch and “ Nutritional Value” "School Lunch" and "Serving Sizes" "School Lunch" and "School Systems"

Logs 1. Google 2. Google Scholar 3. Science direct 4. PubMed 5. The New England Journal of Medicine

1 st Interesting Find US - More than 100 of America's cash-starved schools and school districts have signed exclusive pacts with Coca Cola and Pepsi to peddle caffeinated sodas on campus in return for financial kickbacks. In 1998, principals and teachers in one Colorado high school district were instructed to "do whatever it takes" to triple the students' Coke consumption. A school district Letter suggested a List of "promotional activities" that included allowing kids to drink Coke in the classroom. Elementary schools are also on the take from Coca-Cola, which pays to see that kids drink plenty of Minute Maid and Fruitopia (high in sugar with only 5 percent fruit juice).

2 nd Interesting Find Last December, President Obama signed the Child Nutrition Act into law. The legislation will improve the school lunch program that feeds more than 31 million children every day. The secretary of agriculture now has authority to regulate the nutrition standards of school lunches--including vending machine offerings-- and the legislation will introduce more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Participating schools will receive more federal support to cover the cost of higher-quality meals, and more students will qualify for free lunches.

3 rd Interesting Find Increasing portion size can increase children's consumption of food. The goal of this study was to determine whether increasing the portion sizes of fruits and vegetables in an elementary school cafeteria environment would increase children's consumption of them. We measured each child's consumption of the fruit and vegetables served in a cafeteria line on a control day (normal cafeteria procedures) and on two intervention days. When we increased the portion size of 3 of the 4 fruits and vegetables by about 50%, children that took those foods increased their consumption of them. Although this was an effective strategy for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among students that took those foods, many children chose not to take any fruits or vegetables. Further efforts are needed to increase children's selection and consumption of fruits and vegetables in an environment of competing foods of higher palatability.