Linda Dorcena Forry

Earlier this week I voted in favor of House Bill 4459, An Act Relative to School Nutrition. I was pleased that Speaker DeLeo and virtually all my colleagues saw the importance of this bill.

The bill – modeled after the recommendations of a 2007 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report – calls for a ban on unhealthy competitive foods and beverages that do not meet scientifically based nutritional standards and are not part of federal meal programs. It would also require schools to sell non-fried foods and vegetables at any location where foods are sold.

The American Heart Association has confirmed that childhood obesity is one of the most critical public health issues facing our nation today, threatening to reverse the last half century’s gains in reducing cardiovascular disease and related deaths. One-third of children aged two to five years are either at risk for being overweight or are already overweight. In Massachusetts, 29% of middle school students are overweight or obese. Studies show that these children are more likely than their peers to be absent from school, experience low self esteem and become obese adults.

To see the text of the bill, click here.