As per World Health Organization (WHO) 2021 reports, approximately 41 million kids under the age of 5 are overweight globally. And, nearly 340 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 are overweight and obese. Studies show that childhood body mass index (BMI) and obesity are likely to continue into adulthood. Approximately 55% of overweight children go on to be obese in adolescence. There is an 80% chance that obese adolescents will still be obese in adulthood.
This increases the possibility for several diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Childhood obesity has increased tenfold in the past four decades. Many school-going children consume a good amount of their food energy at the institute.
The food served for breakfast or lunch in schools is important as it impacts a child’s health. According to research, school food is considered more nutritious compared to other meals we get from different sources. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) studied the diet quality of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) that serves over 31 million children in the United States every day.
The study examined the quality of food eaten by 2,190 children who were selected as a representative sample nationally. Results indicated that the school-provided lunch had greater nutritional value compared to meals from elsewhere across both age and income categories.
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Children who were not a part of the NSLP consumed approximately 58% more total fat and 60% more saturated fat. Their added sugar intake was double the amount than NSLP participants. On the other hand, NSLP students had better food-group composition and more fruits in their diet. Their meals were more favorable in macronutrients as well.
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In order for children to consume healthy meals, many institutes in the world have implemented their own universal free school meal policies. This helps to ensure that every child, especially the ones from low-income households, gets access to free nutritious food.
Researchers have found an association between these free meals and reduced obesity in many places including California, Chile, and South Korea, among other places. The four boroughs in London that adopted the provision showed reduced levels of obesity as per the Observer.
A study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, revealed that the policy helped parents financially and also boosted reading skills in children as they were fed and focused.
In the USA, California was the first state to implement a statewide free meals program in the 2022-23 school year. School districts need to serve the K-12 students meals that follow the federal guidelines. As long as they do so, California’s Department of Education reimburses them for all the expenses that are not covered by the federal reimbursements, such as the costs of reduced-price meals. In the previous school year, the state also provided $150 million for staff training and kitchen infrastructure upgrades so that the implementation could happen smoothly.
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