Archive for the ‘Community’ Category
First Lady Michelle Obama kicks off Lets Move
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010The Junk Food Police
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010Balboa High School in San Francisco took the initiative on healthier eating in school with a pro-active attitude.
Susan Ritter, assistant principal, is proud of the change her students have made due to the district’s nutrition stand point. The school disposed of the no eating in class rule and implemented a “Breakfast on the Go” scheme where students are offered low-sugar juice, bagels and fresh fruit for the first 20 minutes of class.
But don’t try to sneak in junk food. The junk food police will confiscate any unhealthy foods and dispose of them. In addition to this pro-active initiative, the vending machines have been purged of soda, power drinks, and junk food snacks and replaced with bottled water and trail mix.
Balboa High School was one of the first in the area to be awarded with a $50,000 organic food grant and is now the proud owner of a salad bar. The school has a zero tolerance for empty calories and is happy to say they are a transfat-free campus.
Child Obesity = Foster Care
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010Nearly 20 percent of children ages 6 to 9 are obese, according to the Center for Disease Control. That is an alarming number in itself, but when the highly controversial subject of foster care being enforced for critically obese children is introduced, the crisis becomes staggering.
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal by Russell Vine reports that morbid obesity in children is a result of neglect by failing to provide the children with a healthy diet. This poses the question as to whether the government is culpable with the current School Lunch Program’s lack of healthy meals. According to the Los Angeles Times, several children in America have been removed from the home and placed in foster care as a result of morbid obesity. Vine’s report indicates 20 similar cases in the UK.
Whether a child should be removed from the home and placed into foster care because of morbid obesity is a sensitive subject. We would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment and let us know what you think or Tweet this post to see what others think.
A new independent documentary by film makers Mike Graziano, and Ernie Park is set to premiere in Chicago at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010A new independent documentary by film makers Mike Graziano, and Ernie Park is set to premiere in Chicago at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema. The film titled “Lunch Line” is the story of six high school student’s creation of a prize winning school lunch for only $1
The goal of the film is to bring awareness to the much lacking National School Lunch Program. The film shows the history of the program and the people behind the reform effort. Unlike typical public policy films, Lunch Line boasts indie rock and entertaining graphics.
When Mike Graziano was asked how they were able to procure the music he stated:
“We’re both music fans and (Mates) had this song that really fit with this one section of the film about the kids from Tilden (High School) and we thought we’d ask. Since this is in an indie-produced film with razor (thin) budgets, they basically gave us the song after they saw the section.
Also, the Swedish singer-songwriter Loney Dear, whose song opens the film, was the first person who got on board. We showed him the opening that Ernie had done and he loved it and he held the rights and he was like, “Yeah, this was really cool.”
In addition to the Wednesday night premiere in Chicago, Christie Vilsack (wife of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack) and Karen Duncan (wife of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan) will host a screening in Washington.
Sign Jamie’s petition to improve school food and to save cooking skills!
Monday, March 29th, 2010Jamie would like to take his petition to the White House after the TV series airs, to show The President and First Lady how many people across the country really care about this and ask for their support.
Libraries help fill city nutrition gaps
Friday, March 26th, 2010Virtual Supermarket serves residents of areas without grocery stores.
The new Virtual Supermarket Project, city officials’ latest attempt to solve Baltimore’s long-standing history of neighborhoods with little access to healthful foods, offers laptops where residents can order groceries online from Santoni’s Super Market in Highlandtown and pick them up the next day at the Orleans Street or Washington Village library branches of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The libraries are in East and West Baltimore’s biggest “food deserts,” areas targeted by the Health Department for their scarcity of grocery stores and nutritious food options.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-03-18/health/bal-md.hs.supermarket18mar18_1_food-deserts-healthful-grocery-stores
“Mapping America’s Eating Habits”
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010What state spends the most on fast food? Or drinks the most soda? Or eats its vegetables? Check out this fun set of maps from the Daily Yonder that show how our diets differ by state and county.” >Read More
