First Lady Michelle Obama refers to pending child nutrition legislation as “a major opportunity to make our schools and our children healthier… an opportunity we haven't seen in years, and one that is too important to let pass by” and urges swift passage of a child nutrition bill in a recent Washington Post op-ed. The Education and Labor Committee approved the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act on a bipartisan vote in July. The First Lady continues:
Hers is a sentiment shared by many – that there is no more important investment we can make for our country’s future than feeding our children healthy meals. Television host and author Rachael Ray has also been vocal on the issue, appearing with Chairman George Miller to introduce the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act and publishing an op-ed in today’s issue of the Albany Times-Union. Ray also pushes for quick passage of a child nutrition bill and argues passionately in favor of the legislation:
“We owe it to the children who aren't reaching their potential because they're not getting the nutrition they need during the day. We owe it to the parents who are working to keep their families healthy and looking for a little support along the way. We owe it to the schools that are trying to make progress but don't have the resources they need. And we owe it to our country -- because our prosperity depends on the health and vitality of the next generation.”
Hers is a sentiment shared by many – that there is no more important investment we can make for our country’s future than feeding our children healthy meals. Television host and author Rachael Ray has also been vocal on the issue, appearing with Chairman George Miller to introduce the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act and publishing an op-ed in today’s issue of the Albany Times-Union. Ray also pushes for quick passage of a child nutrition bill and argues passionately in favor of the legislation:
“Nearly 17 million American children struggle against hunger. For these children, school food programs are sometimes the only access they have to food. At the same time, one in three American kids is overweight or suffering from childhood obesity, because their families simply cannot afford fresh, nutritious foods. School food systems are one of the few ways we have to provide good nutrition to all of our kids.
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“Child hunger and malnutrition in the world's wealthiest nation is morally unacceptable. The U.S. economy loses at least $28 billion per year due to poor school performance and long-term health care spending due to poor child nutrition. We can pay now or pay a much greater price in every sense later.”
