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“NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2069-E2070 on Oct. 17, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK
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HON. DANNY K. DAVIS
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce the 57th year of the National School Lunch Program, which is dedicated to the health and well being of our Nation's children. National School Lunch Week commenced on October 13 and will run until October 17th. The National School Lunch Program has been joined through the years by several excellent child-feeding programs, such as: School Breakfast, Food Stamp, Child and Adult Care, Emergency Food Assistance and Summer Nutrition Programs, among others, and there is definitely a need to continue these programs in order to inspire nutrition education and awareness in our children.
President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act on June 4, 1946, which authorized the National School Lunch Program, which is the oldest and largest of child nutrition programs. The legislation came in response to claims that many American men had been rejected for World War II military service because of diet-related health problems. The Federally assisted meal program was established as ``a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities.'' To continue the spirit of the program, in 1998, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in after school educational and enrichment programs for children through the age of 18.
In this day and age, we are even more focused on providing nutritious, well-balanced, low-cost or free meals for our young boys and girls. The Program contributes to the development of healthy eating habits by providing the children with no more than 30 percent calories from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. All children can take advantage of this program, but if the child comes from a family with an income at or below 130 percent of the poverty level, that child is eligible for free meals. With about 57 percent of children receiving free or reduced price lunches, the National School Lunch Program often times provides the most nutritious meal or the only meal that some children receive in a day.
We celebrate another year of this Program because it has helped combat the growing hunger and poverty levels among children in our country. According to the Food Research and Action Center, National School Lunch Program has grown from about 7.1 million children participating in 1947 to over 27.2 million in the 2001-2002 school year. The program operates in more than 99,800 public and non-profit private schools and residential childcare institutions, with over 187 billion lunches having been served.
National School Lunch Program is just one step in developing our children into the prosperous, successful individuals we want them to become. The Program's Team Nutrition Initiative focuses on teaching and motivating children to make food choices that enhance their energy, growth, and potential. In addition, the Program is vitally important to achieving our educational goals. Poorly fed children have more difficulty learning, are less attentive in class, and suffer more chronic problems, such as absenteeism and tardiness, than children who are properly nourished. By making nutritious meals available to all school children, the National School Lunch Program will help us ensure that we leave no child behind. According to the Food Research and Action Center, proper nutrition improves a child's behavior, school performance, and overall cognitive development. All in all, properly nourished children more actively participate in the education experience, which benefits them, their fellow students, and the entire school community. Studies have shown what we already have known--that healthy school meals play a critical and positive role in students' development and learning process. Unfortunately, we have a double-sided battle to fight, with regards to mal-nourishment and obesity. A peer-
reviewed study conducted by academic researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, found that girls in food insecure households had a significantly lower risk of being overweight if they participated in the National School Lunch Program. The findings suggest that participation in these Federal child nutrition programs can combat our growing problems with obesity in children.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2000, 10.5 percent of all U.S. households, representing 20 million adults and 13 million children, were ``food insecure'' because of lack of resources. In 2001, Illinois reported 9.2 percent of households are food insecure, which represents 3,239,229 children under the age of 18. Thanks to the National School Lunch Program, there are over 4,446 schools participating in Illinois, with over 1,083,548 students that benefits from it. Specifically in Chicago Public Schools, over 350,000 students are registered in the Program.
If President Truman found this to be important to our national security in 1946, we should continue his vision in 2003 by continuing to support National School Lunches. As the Committee on Education and the Workforce, of which I serve, continues to examine this program during its reauthorization, I will continue to ensure that good nutrition is promoted among our children, thus helping them to become healthier, positive, citizens within our country.
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