Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010... OH MY!

Amerika · 07-09-2012 07:30PM #1

Michelle Obama in her commitment to raise a healthier generation of kids, helped to push through the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,” which was signed into law by her husband Barack Obama.

Well it just took effect with the start of this school year and has now seemingly lead to an entire generation of young anarchists. It was funny in a way. My kids were complaining about it the very first day. I said you can thank Michelle and Barack Obama for it. “NO WAY!” was their reply. “YEAH WAY!” was my response and I showed them the letter sent home from the school district noting what they were required to do because of the efforts of Michelle and Barack. Now my kids (and just about all other kids in the nation it seems) are in an uproar. The food is disgusting, wilted, rotten, tasteless and inedible, and they’re now refusing to eat most of it. “Vote Obama Out” and “Anyone But Obama” suddenly seems to be the battle cry of the school age young. They are all starting to talk like Republicans rather than Democrats-in-training. “Why is the government telling us what we have to eat.” “I can decide for myself what to eat, stay out of my decisions.” Etc, etc…I LOVE IT (well their attitude, not the government making those decisions because they believe I can’t decide what’s best for my kids).

As a parent you can screw with most everything, just don’t screw with our kids. I’ve talked to a number of parents about this, and it seems many now utilize the name “Obama” much the same as when Seinfeld said “Neuman!” in disgust.

Bad timing for an election. Surprised the media hasn’t mentioned this nationwide outcry. It’s so bad the kids would rather eat NOTHING than a school lunch. Question: How many kids have become fat eating school lunches? LOL

Wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants if Obama was ultimately defeated this election because of school kids?

20Cent · 07-09-2012 07:35PM

Pizza is a vegetable give them that.

Amerika · 07-09-2012 07:41PM

20Cent wrote: »

Pizza is a vegetable give them that.

Funny, I said the same thing. But pizza is ala carte, and the line is so long for pizza that over half the kids don't get served wanting pizza before the lunch period is over.

Corkfeen · 07-09-2012 07:45PM

How awful, expecting children to eat nutritious food rather than ****e.

I'm fairly certain that most primary schools in Ireland have something along the line of this in place. The fact of the matter is that obesity is a major issue so why not get them to start eating healthy from young age so that it becomes a habit.

If this effected the outcome of the elections in a negative way which it won't. It really would be a bad reflection of the priorities of the voter.... Is it really an issue to make sure that children are eating healthily? It helps to avoid both malnutrition and obesity.

Wait, they're not genuinely categorising pizza as a vegetable, right? :P

Amerika · 07-09-2012 07:46PM

I even told my kids that I would give them packs of hot dog buns so they can sell at school on the black market for those who want to replace their horrid wheat buns for something tasty... and will help pay for their college education. They said the school already thought of this, and any kid selling food will be subject to Disciplinary measures.

07-09-2012 07:47PM

It's up to the parents, not some far-removed govt who are happy to either vote in awful food or declare pizza a vegetable depending on which way the wind is blowing
If they are that concerned about it publish some information - although considering that too might be along the lines of "eat more bread, the food pyramid is good for you- sponsors, what sponsors?" or "replace everything with corn syrup", maybe not

Corkfeen wrote: »

Wait, they're not genuinely categorising pizza as a vegetable, right? :P

I'm afraid so

http://www.thejournal.ie/us-congress-rules-that-pizza-is-a-vegetable-282033-Nov2011/

Amerika · 07-09-2012 07:47PM

Corkfeen wrote: »

How awful, expecting children to eat nutritious food rather than ****e. I'm fairly certain that most primary schools in Ireland have something along the line of this in place. The fact of the matter is that obesity is a major issue so why not get them to start eating healthy from young age so that it becomes a habit.

If this effected the outcome of the elections in a negative way which it won't. It really would be a bad reflection of the priorities of the voter.... Is it really an issue to make sure that children are eating healthily? It helps to avoid both malnutrition and obesity.

Same question... how many kids in Ireland have become fat from eating their school lunches?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 07-09-2012 07:49PM

bluewolf wrote: »

It's up to the parents, not some far-removed govt who are happy to either vote in awful food or declare pizza a vegetable depending on which way the wind is blowing
If they are that concerned about it publish some information - although considering that too might be along the lines of "eat more bread, the food pyramid is good for you- sponsors, what sponsors?" or "replace everything with corn syrup", maybe not

milk - now with 50% more high fructose corn syrup

Reindeer · 07-09-2012 07:52PM

I know, how dare they try to remove or provide healthier alternatives to the salt, fat and sugar-ladened fast-food type choices they've had in the past. Shame on them.

Amerika · 07-09-2012 07:54PM

Perhaps we should force politicians, parents and teachers to have to eat a week's worth of school lunches. Then maybe the law will change LOL

20Cent · 07-09-2012 08:00PM

Amerika wrote: »

Perhaps we should force politicians, parents and teachers to have to eat a week's worth of school lunches. Then maybe the law will change LOL

What do they get? out of interest.
and what would they prefer?

If the food is "disgusting, wilted, rotten, tasteless and inedible" then surely its the canteens fault unless Michelle Obama is your canteen lady.

Corkfeen · 07-09-2012 08:00PM

Amerika wrote: »

Same question... how many kids in Ireland have become fat from eating their school lunches?

Dependent on the individual parents to be honest. Some will lob any old crap into a lunchbox while others will prepare rolls. (Wholemeal rolls are lovely btw)

But unfortunately whatever they have for lunch is probably a reflection of the quality of what they'll be given for dinner. If you put the parent into the habit of adapting what they're giving the children, both the child and the parent could potentially adapt their food eating and preparation to something more healthy. So it's not solely the lunch that is responsible but it is contributing to it. Admittedly, I do think the parent should be given a bit more freedom like being allowed to throw the odd treat into the lunch etc.

If it is the cafeteria at fault, they should be trained to be creative. Healthy food doesn't necessarily mean disgusting.

bluewolf wrote: »

I'm afraid so

http://www.thejournal.ie/us-congress-rules-that-pizza-is-a-vegetable-282033-Nov2011/

I vaguely remember the story but didn't realise congress had ruled on it. I wept. :pac:

Amerika · 07-09-2012 08:12PM

20Cent wrote: »

What do they get? out of interest.
and what would they prefer?

If the food is "disgusting, wilted, rotten, tasteless and inedible" then surely its the canteens fault unless Michelle Obama is your canteen lady.

I looked at the menu and it didn’t seem all bad on paper, but the kids say the food tastes like crap because of the components, and compares nothing to what the spin-doctor school menu authors state as food. It's only been a couple of days here where I live, so I need to get a better feel from them in order to compare the actual meal to the description.

joseph brand · 07-09-2012 08:39PM

Michelle Obama tries to help her country, which is rife with diabetics, by introducing fresh fruit and veg to the diets of growing children. This is necessary because of all the junk they are fed. And now the parents have the hump? Unbelievable!

The problem, if the food is sub-par, is the cooks and canteen staff. They've probably never seen vegetables (bar pizza and ketchup) before and are too used to cooking 'freedom fries', burgers, nuggets and hot dogs. Take your pick and wash it all down with some fructose syrup.

Talk about 'biting the hand that feeds you'.

I can picture Ann Romney, with her head held high saying, "Let them eat cake*".

*Can be substituted with cheese burgers, hot dogs, nuggets, fries etc :pac:

Just wondering. Is it possible to order a litre of soft drink from fast food restaurants and petrol stations?

LostinKildare · 07-09-2012 08:39PM

Amerika wrote: »

“Why is the government telling us what we have to eat.” “I can decide for myself what to eat, stay out of my decisions.” Etc, etc…I LOVE IT (well their attitude, not the government making those decisions because they believe I can’t decide what’s best for my kids).

As a parent you can screw with most everything, just don’t screw with our kids.

I've been out of the US for a decade, and out of school for a lot longer than that, so tell me: can't children still bring their own lunches from home, or are they now required to eat shool-prepared lunches?

Amerika · 07-09-2012 09:08PM

LostinKildare wrote: »

I've been out of the US for a decade, and out of school for a lot longer than that, so tell me: can't children still bring their own lunches from home, or are they now required to eat shool-prepared lunches?

Yes they can bring a lunch from home. But it seems to be a matter of contention and different depending on the school districts... I’m hearing. Some schools are examining what kids are bringing and forcing them into healthier meals, some are just supplementing what the lunch from home includes, and some don’t care and let the kids eat whatever is brought from home without change. My one kid took a PB&J sandwich today, and was made to get a vegetable or fruit… which she did (slices of brown apples) which she immediately threw away. My older kid goes for the pizza, or if the line is too long and doesn’t get served in time - just goes hungry. It appears the school’s position is either eat healthy or go hungry... makes no difference to them! But parents are now being forced to prepare school lunches for their kids, and not happy with the Obamas' over it.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 07-09-2012 09:12PM

joseph brand wrote: »

Michelle Obama tries to help her country, which is rife with diabetics, by introducing fresh fruit and veg to the diets of growing children. This is necessary because of all the junk they are fed. And now the parents have the hump? Unbelievable!

The problem, if the food is sub-par, is the cooks and canteen staff. They've probably never seen vegetables (bar pizza and ketchup) before and are too used to cooking 'freedom fries', burgers, nuggets and hot dogs. Take your pick and wash it all down with some fructose syrup.

Talk about 'biting the hand that feeds you'.

I can picture Ann Romney, with her head held high saying, "Let them eat cake*".

*Can be substituted with cheese burgers, hot dogs, nuggets, fries etc :pac:

Just wondering. Is it possible to order a litre of soft drink from fast food restaurants and petrol stations?

you can buy 2.5 litres of cola in shops and fast food stations all over Ireland

save us obama, save us

Amerika · 07-09-2012 09:19PM

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

you can buy 2.5 litres of cola in shops and fast food stations all over Ireland

save us obama, save us

Michelle Obama said she's gunning for the grocery stores to go healthy in Barack's second term. (scene from the dark back ally: Hey man... wanna buy some white bread I got here... only $5 a slice

)

karma_ · 07-09-2012 09:27PM

This is just very cheap political point scoring to be fair. Let us be honest about the problem, the US like many other countries has a major problem with obesity, so bearing that in mind, what exactly is the problem with trying to address it, especially at youth level?

joseph brand · 07-09-2012 10:20PM

Amerika wrote: »

Yes they can bring a lunch from home. But it seems to be a matter of contention and different depending on the school districts... I’m hearing. Some schools are examining what kids are bringing and forcing them into healthier meals, some are just supplementing what the lunch from home includes, and some don’t care and let the kids eat whatever is brought from home without change. My one kid took a PB&J sandwich today, and was made to get a vegetable or fruit… which she did (slices of brown apples) which she immediately threw away. My older kid goes for the pizza, or if the line is too long and doesn’t get served in time - just goes hungry. It appears the school’s position is either eat healthy or go hungry... makes no difference to them! But parents are now being forced to prepare school lunches for their kids, and not happy with the Obamas' over it.

Thanks for enlightening us. I'm assuming, from what you've said, that the teachers are getting the kids in choke-holds and mashing their faces into plates of rotten produce.

There's one video from 'Will it Blend' where they guy puts a Big Mac Meal into a blender. The beverage used was a milkshake. This will produce a hearty drink. Just obtain a 24oz flask and you can bypass* the governments meddling. If anyone asks, it's a 'health' drink. Vive la Révolution!

*enough of these Frankenstein shakes will result in a double, triple or quadruple bypass.

LostinKildare · 07-09-2012 10:44PM

Amerika wrote: »

Yes they can bring a lunch from home. But it seems to be a matter of contention and different depending on the school districts... I’m hearing. Some schools are examining what kids are bringing and forcing them into healthier meals, some are just supplementing what the lunch from home includes, and some don’t care and let the kids eat whatever is brought from home without change. My one kid took a PB&J sandwich today, and was made to get a vegetable or fruit… which she did (slices of brown apples) which she immediately threw away. My older kid goes for the pizza, or if the line is too long and doesn’t get served in time - just goes hungry. It appears the school’s position is either eat healthy or go hungry... makes no difference to them!

So, some teachers are looking at what some kids bring in their lunchboxes and telling them they need to eat a piece fruit or veg. It's always been thus! And your kid will only eat pizza, one of several dishes offered, I imagine (besides the obvious option of bringing a packed lunch), but sometimes doesn't get served because the line's too long! Oh, how awful -- clearly an oppressive govt out of control. I'd say this'll lose Obama the election, all right.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act has two general purposes -- 1. to up the nutritional quality of the food served in school cafeterias and vending machines (and also to allow schools to source fresh veg and fruit locally) and, more importantly, 2. to continue and expand the provision of free and/or subsidized breakfasts and/or lunches to children living in poverty. There are something like 15-20 million of them in the US, and for many children the only decent meal they get every day is in school via this govt program. Of course, it is voluntary! If it's the same as when I was a kid, poor kids get their meals free, but any kids can buy the lunches, which are very cheap because the govt subsidizes them. (I also remember that it was handled through lunch tickets so that you couldn't tell who was getting them free, to avoid stigmatizing the kids.)

Though it's been tweaked in several incarnations, the school lunch program has existed since the 1960s -- it was part of LBJ's War on Poverty. It's always been widely approved by both parties (as it was this time). Really, only the most rabid govt-haters would criticize a completely voluntary program that aims to provide nutritious meals to needy children.

Amerika wrote: »

But parents are now being forced to prepare school lunches for their kids, and not happy with the Obamas' over it.

LOL. So, you are mad at the Obamas because --- now that the govt is cleaning up its act and providing nutritious "yucky" food rather than yummy junk food --- you are being FORCED to prepare meals for your own children rather than relying on the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to provide subsidized meals to them? So you were perfectly happy for the fed govt to feed your children (acting in loco parentis!!), as long as it was feeding them the kind of crap they (and most kids) crave?

Einhard · 08-09-2012 12:24AM

bluewolf wrote: »

It's up to the parents, not some far-removed govt who are happy to either vote in awful food or declare pizza a vegetable depending on which way the wind is blowing

The problem though, is that obese kids aren't simply a problem for the parents involved but for society as a whole. I don't think there's anything wrong with the government seeking to implement a healthy food policy in schools, especially when such a massive proportion of the American economy is going to pay healthcare costs on obesity-related illnesses. I doubt very much that people would be so critical were the government to state that it's opposed to children smoking in schools, so why the big deal here?

Chuck Stone · 08-09-2012 01:17AM

Government schools trying to improve the nutrition of the kids of the fattest nation in the world?

Forget the poverty, wars, the creaking infrastructure, the medically uninsured, Wall Street banksters.. forget that..

this... this is everything that's wrong with America.

Of course school lunches should be left to the private sector. McD's, BK, KFC etc should compete for children's money. That would introduce competition and efficiency into school meal provision.

Gosh darn that meddling gubberment.

Overheal · 08-09-2012 02:10AM

Amerika wrote: »

(scene from the dark back ally: Hey man... wanna buy some white bread I got here... only $5 a slice )

You a southpark fan?

Best Clip Ever

(The episode aired on December 6, 2000)

Overheal · 08-09-2012 02:27AM

karma_ wrote: »

This is just very cheap political point scoring to be fair. Let us be honest about the problem, the US like many other countries has a major problem with obesity, so bearing that in mind, what exactly is the problem with trying to address it, especially at youth level?

For me the problem isn't the youth level, it's the Federal level.

It's also kinda hard to tell everyone what is the best diet for their kids: you can surely say things that are just plain not good ideas for kids (Red Bull or other HFCS drinks, just imo) but how can you honestly generalize and curve-fit nutrition for all students? Just as an extreme example, let's review the dietary requirements of one Michael Fred Phelps:

Breakfast: Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise. Two cups of coffee. One five-egg omelet. One bowl of grits. Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar. Three chocolate-chip pancakes.
Lunch: One pound of enriched pasta. Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread. Energy drinks packing 1,000 calories.
Dinner: One pound of pasta. An entire pizza. More energy drinks.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08/13/the-michael-phelps-diet-dont-try-it-at-home/

And that wasn't just a case of the munchies. And there probably isn't an ounce of fat on the man. His metabolism when he is in Olympic mode is absolutely insane.

Similarly you can't reasonably expect to feed the same food to a kid who captains the soccer team as you do a narcoleptic book worm.

Besides, the "healthy options" aren't exactly cage-free or organic. They're the Diet Coke of 'healthy foods', like those allegedly healthy meals you find vacuum-sealed in the freezer aisle for $2 a piece.

Again, the problem isn't the youth level it's the Federal level. Plenty of parents assume that, oh, the schools will feed my kids and tell them what to eat. I've seen what some families eat, up to my standards its pretty base and gross. Junk, basically. If the parents aren't on board there's not much the school can do. The school only controls the child for one, maybe 2 meals a day tops and thats only if the student chooses to arrive before the start of class to get breakfast. And then, they are only in control 5 days a week. The kid eats, excluding snacks, 21 meals a week. The school is lucky to dictate even close to 10 of them, and on average they probably get a little over 5. the rest of the time it's up to the parents and that means it usually consists of coke or sweet tea and pop tarts and whatever is for dinner which can range from the good to the bad. Most parents don't budget the extra - honestly 2-3 hours a day - that it requires to generate healthy and truly good food for their kids that isn't utter crap. Try freeze-packing some otherwise fresh fruits and throw them into a blender in the morning. Add some organic peanut butter, flax, and I add in espresso. It's the way to go.

I'd actually have a bigger bone to pick with PE. PE does really nothing to teach kids anything about their body, and I dont mean the birds and the bees. It wasn't till I was an adult that a gym trainer actually bothered to explain the biology behind stretching and working your muscles, about muscle tissue and bloodflow and recovery/growth. PE, in grade school, taught me that my fingers were called Phalanges (who the fcuk needs to know this at 9 years old?) and how to play Tennis, poorly. Nobody ever explained why they were telling me to reach down to my toes and why it was supposed to hurt (which seems completely counter-intuitive until you grasp the science). Nobody explains to you really what a shin splint is or why it happens or how the only real way to address it is to keep stretching and keep up your jogging routine. Rather, they told us to do a bunch of crap, and every few weeks made us run laps, recorded us, ran fat-calipers on us, and probably treated us like lab rats to measure the average health of the nation's children.

tl;dr = they're barking up the wrong tree; let the states do it, if that; quit talking responsibility from the parents unless you plan to own the kids for more than 5 meals a day

08-09-2012 08:53AM

Einhard wrote: »

The problem though, is that obese kids aren't simply a problem for the parents involved but for society as a whole. I don't think there's anything wrong with the government seeking to implement a healthy food policy in schools, especially when such a massive proportion of the American economy is going to pay healthcare costs on obesity-related illnesses. I doubt very much that people would be so critical were the government to state that it's opposed to children smoking in schools, so why the big deal here?

The problem is that they're spending 11 billion annually and calling pizza a vegetable specifically so they can give the frozen food guys more contracts. Does that sound like they have everyone's best interests at heart?

They get it wrong and waste a substantial amount of taxpayer money in the process.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/3051/how-the-government-has-caused-america-s-obesity-problem

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Of course school lunches should be left to the private sector. McD's, BK, KFC etc should compete for children's money. .

No need; the govt are giving these things directly to the processed/unhealthy food guys anyway.
Not to mention subsiding corn syrup so it's in everything and also seems to have been linked to weight gain:
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

"Government want to help people eat healthier" sounds lovely in theory, but when you look at the money they waste and their actual actions so far, it clearly rings very false. Or maybe they are just incompetent. Either way: bad idea.

Brian? · 08-09-2012 03:18PM

Amerika wrote: »

Michelle Obama in her commitment to raise a healthier generation of kids, helped to push through the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,” which was signed into law by her husband Barack Obama.

Well it just took effect with the start of this school year and has now seemingly lead to an entire generation of young anarchists. It was funny in a way. My kids were complaining about it the very first day. I said you can thank Michelle and Barack Obama for it. “NO WAY!” was their reply. “YEAH WAY!” was my response and I showed them the letter sent home from the school district noting what they were required to do because of the efforts of Michelle and Barack. Now my kids (and just about all other kids in the nation it seems) are in an uproar. The food is disgusting, wilted, rotten, tasteless and inedible, and they’re now refusing to eat most of it. “Vote Obama Out” and “Anyone But Obama” suddenly seems to be the battle cry of the school age young. They are all starting to talk like Republicans rather than Democrats-in-training. “Why is the government telling us what we have to eat.” “I can decide for myself what to eat, stay out of my decisions.” Etc, etc…I LOVE IT (well their attitude, not the government making those decisions because they believe I can’t decide what’s best for my kids).

As a parent you can screw with most everything, just don’t screw with our kids. I’ve talked to a number of parents about this, and it seems many now utilize the name “Obama” much the same as when Seinfeld said “Neuman!” in disgust.

Bad timing for an election. Surprised the media hasn’t mentioned this nationwide outcry. It’s so bad the kids would rather eat NOTHING than a school lunch. Question: How many kids have become fat eating school lunches? LOL

Wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants if Obama was ultimately defeated this election because of school kids?

So let me get this straight. You're having a go at Obama because he's trying to deal with the obesity and diabetes epidemics by introducing healthy foods to schools?

Are you actually for real?

Shock horror, kids don't want to eat healthy foods. Does that mean we as a society just give in and let them eat junk for lunch every day because that's what they want? The reason school lunches got so bad in the first places was down to lobbying by the wheat and meat packing industries. I don't think the legislation goes far enough to be honest.

Brian? · 08-09-2012 03:37PM

Amerika wrote: »

LostinKildare wrote: »

I've been out of the US for a decade, and out of school for a lot longer than that, so tell me: can't children still bring their own lunches from home, or are they now required to eat shool-prepared lunches?

Yes they can bring a lunch from home. But it seems to be a matter of contention and different depending on the school districts... I’m hearing. Some schools are examining what kids are bringing and forcing them into healthier meals, some are just supplementing what the lunch from home includes, and some don’t care and let the kids eat whatever is brought from home without change. My one kid took a PB&J sandwich today, and was made to get a vegetable or fruit… which she did (slices of brown apples) which she immediately threw away. My older kid goes for the pizza, or if the line is too long and doesn’t get served in time - just goes hungry. It appears the school’s position is either eat healthy or go hungry... makes no difference to them! But parents are now being forced to prepare school lunches for their kids, and not happy with the Obamas' over it.

Parents are being forced to do exactly ZERO.

Schools are being forced to change their meals to healthier alternatives. If parents choose to prepare different unhealhier meals for their kids it's purely and simply by choice.

Whatever happened to kids simply being disciplined to eating what their given? Yes I am a parent.

MagicMarker · 08-09-2012 06:01PM

Amerika wrote: »

“Why is the government telling us what we have to eat.” “I can decide for myself what to eat, stay out of my decisions.” Etc, etc…I LOVE IT (well their attitude, not the government making those decisions because they believe I can’t decide what’s best for my kids).

Well, healthier food is better for your kids than less healthier food. So presumably you'll tell your kids to be happy and smile while eating their greens..... no? Or do you let your kids dictate to you what you make for dinner every night, and then post about it on the internet telling everyone what free spirits they are, not listening to the big bad grown ups making the decisions for them?

Seriously, of all the things to complain about, this is pretty piss poor.

20Cent · 08-09-2012 06:56PM

I know republicans don't believe in evolution or climate change, but nutrition and a good diet!!!

southsiderosie · 08-09-2012 09:39PM

I don't understand what the fuss is about here. If you don't want the government feeding your kids, then send them to school with their own lunch. If you are fine with your kids eating a government-subsidized lunch, then don't complain about it. The only people who have a real complaint here are those who send their kids to schools where everyone has to eat cafeteria food.

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010... OH MY!

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