Beware: Lawyers Making Child Nutrition Policy The headlines keep coming: no more pizza in school lunches, French fries banned in child feeding programs, and chocolate milk is on the chopping block. Added sugar and solid fats must be removed from our diet to fight childhood obesity. The fight against childhood obesity is critical; however, it must be recognized that dietary needs vary greatly throughout the life cycle. Although dietary recommendations differ by age group, the central message remains the same—to promote health, consume the recommended servings from the protein, dairy, grains, vegetable, and fruit groups. With regard to children, research findings indicate that dietary patterns and food security are more closely linked to healthy body weight than are restrictive food policies and measures. Research studies also support the idea that if staple foods are available to children they are capable of selecting a balanced diet. Finally, eating together as a family has been shown to have more of a positive health impact than what is served at the meal. All of these findings suggest the food police need to study the nutrition scientific literature before making rules. |