The Governor of Massachusetts passed a bill into law this week that requires the removal of fryolators from school cafeteria kitchens and the inclusion of fresh fruits and vegetables whenever food is sold.  What’s great is that fried food will be less available and the healthy stuff will be more available; what’s sad is that it requires a law to make this so.

I support and applaud the passage of this bill and others like it making their way through state legislatures around the U.S.  But I can’t help but shake my head that we have to “tell” the school systems what to do.  There’s a lot of fingerpointing to go around: parents assuming their children are taken care of at school without bothering to check; school lunch programs that have been strapped for years trying to make due with what’s cheapest and what the kids will eat; the U.S. Government allowing lobbying groups to chip away at healthy eating in favor or whatever makes their masters more money.

It’s just sad.  One in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes during their lifetime.  Have we literally sold our children’s health in the name of corporate profits and apathy?

Sheesh.

There is a burble of awareness.  In my bones, I can feel it getting stronger.  As new parents, we get drilled into us the importance of our babies sleeping on their backs (to avoid SIDS) and to make sure they get all their shots.  We dutifully follow directions because we want our kids to have the best.

What needs to happen now is that same level of awareness.  Food manufacturers need to start selling healthier products, and truly healthier products, not some dumb marketing gimmick to trick parents.  More legislatures need to pass healthy lunch programs.  Parents need to get involved with their school cafeterias and start learning healthier cooking techniques themselves.

We all need to pay attention to Michelle Obama and her Let’s Move campaign.  Who’s in?  What are you going to do about it? Please share here.

Thanks,

Lisa

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