WASHINGTON - Congressman Adam H. Putnam (FL-12) made the following statement on the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s (CSPI) release of its School Foods Tool Kit – a comprehensive manual that provides practical advice for improving school foods.

“There is no more important children’s health issue facing our country than fighting today’s alarming obesity and poor nutrition crisis,” said Putnam, “Improving our children’s nutrition with fruits, vegetables, and juices is a necessary step to combating the skyrocketing rates of obesity in children and teens as well as promoting better health.”

“The U.S. Surgeon General reports that fruit, juice and vegetable consumption are a central part of this commitment to improve health and provide protective effects from most cancers, heart disease and obesity,” said Putnam. “Unfortunately, most children do not meet the recommended guidelines of five servings a day of fruit and vegetables. Schools need to improve the nutritional quality of food and meals by replacing unhealthy snacks. ”

“I recently introduced H.R. 2592, the Healthy America Act, which would expand and enhance policies that recognize and encourage the consumption of fruits, vegetables and juices as critical to promoting health and preventing an array of chronic diseases,” Putnam stated.  “This legislation would elevate the federal government’s investment in nutrition program priorities to better address the significant role that a proper diet plays in health promotion and disease for the neediest Americans. Most importantly, it would make permanent and expand the fruit and vegetable pilot program to all 50 states.”

“Improving nutrition with fruits, vegetables, and juices is a necessary step to promote better health. We are fortunate in America to be able to grow healthy food in large amounts,” said Rep. Dennis Cardoza, a chief co-sponsor of this legislation.  “Yet, we are not doing everything that we can do to improve nutrition.  We must do better, and this bill helps us do that.”

“Increased childhood obesity is blamed on bad eating habits and a lack of childhood exercise. My legislation can impact the next generation of American by instilling in them sound eating habits; after all, a switch to a healthy diet can have a sharp and rapid effect on our nation’s health,” concluded Putnam. “Introducing children to fresh fruits and vegetables is a major step in reversing the national obesity epidemic.”