Senate to Vote on Junk Food in Schools

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CSPI Action Alert <actionalert wrote:Wed, 02 Jun 2004

14:30:36 GMT

" CSPI Action Alert "

" Maynard Clark "

Senate to Vote on Junk Food in Schools

 

Dear Maynard Clark,

 

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) plans to offer an amendment to the

Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill that would provide support

and model guidance to states and localities seeking to improve

the nutritional quality of foods offered in schools. The soft

drink and snack food industries are influential and are working

hard to maintain the status quo on junk food sold in schools.

The Senate needs to hear from concerned citizens, parents, and

professionals in support of Senator Harkin's amendment. This is

the first vote on this issue in the U.S. Senate in decades.

 

Urge your Senators to vote for the Harkin Amendment to the Child

Nutrition Reauthorization bill!

 

You can take action on this alert either via email (please see

directions below) or via the web at:

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HarkenAmendmentCNR/iekesu49jb8et7

 

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HarkenAmendmentCNR/forward/iekesu49jb8et7

 

Senate to Vote on Junk Food in Schools

 

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:

If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this

alert by going to the following URL:

 

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HarkenAmendmentCNR/iekesu49jb8et7

 

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:

Just choose the " reply to sender " option on your email program.

 

Your letter will be addressed and sent to:

Your Senators

 

----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

 

When the Senate votes to reauthorize the Child Nutrition

Programs this summer, I hope that you will vote for Senator

Harkin's school foods amendment. This amendment would provide

support and model guidance to local schools, school districts,

and states seeking to improve the nutritional quality of school

foods. The amendment would provide federal expertise and

guidance on addressing childhood nutrition and obesity, but

would not dictate to local school districts what their school

nutrition policies should be.

 

Over the last 20 years, obesity rates have doubled in children

and tripled in teens. Obesity increases the risk of heart

disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic

diseases. While obesity is a complex, multi-factorial problem,

over-consumption of soft drinks and snack foods plays a key

role.

 

The sale of low-nutrition foods in schools makes it difficult

for parents to ensure that their children are eating well. This

is especially problematic when children have diet-related

illnesses, such as high cholesterol or diabetes.

 

Some schools sell low-nutrition foods and beverages to help

bridge budget gaps. However, many schools have switched from

selling soda and junk food to selling healthier foods and

beverages and have not lost money.

 

While a number of schools and districts have made improvements

to school foods and beverages, many more lack the necessary

resources to convene a panel of expert scientists and health

professionals to develop nutrition standards based on sound

nutrition principles. Such resources are especially hard to come

by in schools in less-affluent areas.

 

Please let me know how you will vote on the Harkin school foods

amendment. Thank you for your attention to this important child

health issue.

 

----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----

 

Sincerely,

Maynard Clark

 

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