The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would provide $4.5 billion in new child nutrition program funding over 10 years.

Abstract

Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would provide $4.5 billion in new child nutrition program funding over 10 years. The aim of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is to improve school lunches by providing more funding for more nutritious foods and by mandating higher nutrition standards.Professor Mary Story, a nutrition expert from the University of Minnesota, has more. <Story: “The bill specifically would increase the reimbursement rate for school meals so that schools could serve more fruits and vegetables and whole grains. And the bill would also strengthen the local schools’ wellness policies. Very importantly, the bill would establish national nutrition standards for all food sold on the school campus throughout the school day.”> Story says this bill would provide needed investment in the fight against childhood obesity. <Story: “The foods that are offered and sold in schools are not as healthy as they could be or should be. Investing in these programs is a down payment on education and the fight against obesity and other serious diet-related diseases.”> With another Public Health Moment, I’m John Finnegan.