Essay On National School Lunch Policy

1798 Words8 Pages

The National School Lunch Policy
Emily Spindler
Murray State University
30 April 2023
Part 1
There are various health policies which have been implemented in the United States’ school cafeterias. One such policy is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); this is a federally-assisted meal program that has been administered in over 100,000 schools.1 The program was established by the National School Lunch Act which President Harry Truman signed in 1946.2 It works to provide low-cost or free, nutritionally balanced lunches to students in grades Pre-Kindergarten-12.1,3 It includes reimbursement for snacks served to children in after-school education programs.1 The school districts which take part in the program get donated commodities …show more content…

The NSLP helps to fight food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for people in a household to live healthy and active lives.4 Food insecurity can stem from unemployment, poverty, or low income.4 It can be due to lack of affordable housing, lack of access to healthcare, chronic health conditions, systemic racism, and racial discrimination.4 Food insecurity can force families to choose between spending money on food or medicine/healthcare, rent, transportation, etcetera.4 It can also make it more difficult for children to grow and learn.4 The NSLP can ensure children from these families have at least one meal each day that will be nutritious and low-cost/free.1 This could significantly help these children learn in school, grow, and live a more active …show more content…

The annual direct costs of treating childhood obesity in the United States is estimated to be approximately $14.3 billion.14 It is also important to keep in mind that current child obesity could suggest future obese adults, and this would imply future direct costs.14 If providing students with nutritious lunches continues to cause a decline in body mass index, this could help the country with decreasing the amount spent on treating childhood