BY CAROLYN MCCARTHY |
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) represents the 4th Congressional District.
December 4, 2008
As we enter the holiday period traditionally known for its gustatory excesses, it's important to remember that children's nutrition remains a major public health issue.
As the chairwoman of the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and Labor - and as a nurse - I read Newsday's recent series on school lunches with great interest. Too many children are not eating well, and as a result we are plagued with childhood obesity and related health problems, such as diabetes.
My subcommittee is gearing up to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act and National School Lunch Program, which expire next year, and as more children are being prescribed medication to control high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes - conditions most commonly found in adults - we know that increasing the nutritional value of school meals is imperative.