Potato chips, soda pop, fried chicken and Cheetos Red Hots are among st the food selection that school children have in the Chicago Public School vending machines and lunch lines. However, did you know that eating healthy is a direct correlation between the grades that students are bringing home and their everyday interaction with people, and themselves? With ADHD, obesity, and diabetes on the rise amongst our youth, CPS administrators express that they are trying their best to help our youth eat healthier lunches by replacing old lunches and vending machines with a healthier selection of food in order to re-direct unhealthy eating habits. But according to retired school teacher Michael Michelle, prior employee for the Chicago Board of Education "The quality of food that a child consumes is based upon ones socioeconomic background, even though the city has tried to provide healthier lunches for all of CPS 's students." But what most don't realize is that what is considered healthy to one may not be considered healthy to another based on studies done by organic food experts which challenges the FDA's food pyramid.
Where one may believe that pizza opposed to fried chicken is healthy, and chocolate milk to replace soda pop will build strong bones and provide better nutrients for the body, studies done by organic food experts differ. Martha Boyd, Program Director of Urban Initiative for the Angelic Organic Learning Center says "We get the proper amount of nutrients by eating organic foods-- ADHD and a lack of concentration is caused by foods full of pesticides and residue which leave children less able to learn." So how do we bridge the gap between organic and healthy eating in the school systems verses the conventional way of eating? In an effort to build academic success Martha works on projects in different communities to help build the bridge by linking relationships between local organic farmers and schools through the Urban Initiative.
Kevin Trudeau, author of Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About and organic way of life guru, indicates that obesity and disease stem from a lack of proper digestion due to the chemicals like hormones, pesticides and insecticides which are in the food. While recent studies done by the F As In Fat Report's on obesity in children being over 30% in 30 states. Which raises a major problem according to the American Diabetes Association because obese children do not get enough magnesium from the foods that they eat which can cause insulin resistance and later turns into type 2 diabetes. As a result CPS has incorporated programs like "Great Body Shop" for children in kindergarten through 6th grade where younger students learn about healthy meals and older students learn about weight gain, eating disorders and fad diets. But with questions being raised about what's in the food, does CPS have a responsibility to invest in organic foods for students in order to help with the success of academic advancement, and help to cure obesity?
According to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, in a report provided by The Ad Council "Combating childhood obesity and encouraging all Americans to balance healthy eating with daily physical activity is a top priority for President Obama and me---ultimately, eating well and exercising is a question of public health. Overcoming this epidemic of obesity requires that we work together at all levels -- parents, teachers, community and business leaders and government -- to achieve healthier lifestyles. USDA's MyPyramid.gov provides a number of tools and resources to help all of us move to a healthier lifestyle." So if our government and CPS are indeed looking to move forward on healthy lifestyles for students in order to gain academic success and cure obesity should Chicago Public Schools System invest in organic foods for students?
For more information on healthy and organic eating for our youth go to
www.learngrowconnect.org.
Posted By: Talibah Bakhit
Tuesday, June 1st 2010 at 8:50AM
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