Federal School Lunches -- But Not Breakfasts -- Linked to Childhood Obesity, Research Finds

Science Daily ^ | Aug 26, 2010 | Staff

[fightinJAG]

With children going back to school, parents are concerned that their youngsters are staying fit and eating right, especially those who dine in a school cafeteria.

New research funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that children who eat school lunches that are part of the federal government's National School Lunch Program are more likely to become overweight.

The same research study found, however, that children who eat both the breakfast and lunch sponsored by the federal government are less heavy than children who don't participate in either, and than children who eat only the lunch, says economist Daniel L. Millimet at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Millimet authored the study with economists Rusty Tchernis, Georgia State University, and Muna S. Hussain, Kuwait University.

"The fact that federally funded school lunches contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic is disconcerting, although not altogether surprising," said Millimet, whose research expertise is the economics of children, specifically topics related to

[hometoroost]

No doubt more money and departments are needed to solve this problem.

[Tax-chick]

The fact that federally funded school lunches contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic is not proved by this study. If the lunches were causative, then eating *both* the breakfasts and lunches would not have less correlation with obesity than the lunches independently. If the lunch is the cause, the lunch is the cause. We see here that it is not, but is, rather, a marker for something else, unidentified by this study.

[fightinJAG]

OTOH, skipping breakfast is shown to make people fatter. That may be what is at work here.

[libertarian27]

The same research study found, however, that children who eat both the breakfast and lunch sponsored by the federal government are less heavy than children who don't participate in either, and than children who eat only the lunch......

OK, so we have two solutions:

1.No federally funded lunches served.

2.Only federally funded breakfast and lunch can be served

"I, on the other hand, think everyone should eat ice cream 24 hours a day"

[Freedom56v2]

No doubt more money and departments are needed to solve this problem.

---

Absolutely, and no doubt the mission of the article.

[Tax-chick]

Not eating breakfast, of itself, does not make people gain weight. It’s what they do the rest of the day that adds pounds.

There are too many factors not included in this data to draw any useful conclusions, although I would say, “Let private charities provide meals to poor children, if necessary,” as a generalization.

[elpadre]

They need to seriously bring back Physical Education with qualified teachers, not just coaches. When a kid leaves HS he should be prepared for life both from the academic standpoint but physical as well. Learn how to develop and maintain a healthy body should be a goal. It would be ideal that a HS graduate have an interest in an activity such as running, cycling, tennis, golf, etc. to continue on.

To complete the well balanced kid the parents and churches need to develop in the child his/her spiritual self.

Body + Mind + Spirit/soul = the complete person.

[calex59]

Right, a kid eats one free meal and gets fat but if he/she eats two free meals he/she doesn’t. What we need, obviously what this article is aimed at, are more children gobbling down the free breakfast. What a bunch of BS.

[manc]

I have 3 kids and are all in school.
My kids tell me and I have seen it that those with the free breakfast and lunches are those who have parents or parent who are fat for the most part .
Yes they drive the caddy escalade but seem to get freebies.
WHY?

it’s not breakfast at school it is the parent or parents who are ripping of the welfare and send their kid to school for child care plus they ise the schools for baby sitting.

Here’s a solution, those on food stamps, WIC, free breakfast, lunch etc should only be allowed to get veggies and fruit not the crap like chips/junk food, which we see ALL the time.

Hell why are they having kids anyway when they can’t even afford to give their kids breakfast anyway.

We waited two years to have a child due to money as we never wanted to raise a child on welfare.

Course if that did happen then many of them would get pissed off with their messiah and will not vote for him.

[manc]

also how about liberal kooks in the school not wanting kids tom pay sport at lunch time , break time etc because some kid might get hurt

Let them play sports and run it off , sometimes I wonder how the hell did many of us especially me still live with no helmets, play sports, have fights etc.

[CORedneck]

Looking back, I remember sophomore year was the first year that we didn’t have Phys Ed. At my school, you had to take it as a freshman but not afterward. Also that year, I started to get into the habit of dozing off during class in the afternoon. Plus that time, I stopped bike riding with getting a driver license. Now I am back to biking and doing weight lifting afterward and feel much better. I am in my 40’s. I started biking almost 10 years ago then got out of it then got back into it.

> They need to seriously bring back Physical Education with qualified teachers, not just coaches.

[kabumpo]

Scary lezbo gym teachers....nooooo

[Red Dog #1]

Red Dog’s school lunch program consist of a brown paper bag, an apple, a OJ drink box and parents doing there job.When we start trying to collectively accomplish what are individual resposnsibies, it cause government to loose focus and encourages individuals (and families) to become unresposible.

[firebrand]

The article does mention that there are add-ons in the lunch program, which the school makes money on. So these are probably tastier than the standard lunch, and the temptation would be to have both.

My own guess is that the standard lunch is not satisfying in quality, which leads to overeating in an attempt to satisfy quality needs. Just a guess, though.