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Sen. Klobuchar Takes Lead on Children's Health Issues

Klobuchar & Harkin to Introduce Legislation Setting Nutrition Standards for Schools

April 16, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS – With plans to introduce legislation setting nutrition standards for all food sold in America’s schools, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today led a roundtable discussion on children’s health with a panel of Minnesota experts.

“Our children represent our future,” Klobuchar said.  “Children are the most vulnerable among us, and it’s our responsibility to protect them and help them to grow up healthy,”

Klobuchar is addressing children’s health issues on several fronts in the Senate.

She was recently appointed chair of the new Children’s Health Subcommittee of the Senate Environment Committee.  The subcommittee focuses on protecting pregnant women, infants and children from environmental health hazards.

She serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee, which is currently working on reauthorization of federally-funded school and children’s nutrition programs.

Along with Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, she will soon introduce legislation that would set national nutrition standards for all food and beverages sold in schools.  The legislation has wide support, including many Minnesota food companies as well as the National School Nutrition Association.

The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act would provide the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture with the authority to establish science-based nutrition for all food sold in schools.  The legislation says the nutrition standards should be based on the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and must be updated as these Guidelines are updated.

“Good nutrition in schools is critical because children consume 30 to 50 percent of their calories in school,” said Klobuchar.  “Good nutrition is essential for both good physical health and good mental health.”   

One study estimates that obesity and overweight conditions contribute as much as $93 billion to the nation's yearly medical bill.  Taxpayers cover about half of these costs through Medicare and Medicaid.  Another study estimates that productivity losses due to obesity cost $4 billion.
The experts participating in the roundtable discussion with Klobuchar at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health included:

-Mary Story, Professor in the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota.  Co-Director, Minnesota Obesity Prevention Center.  Director,

-Robert Wood Foundation Healthy Eating Research Program. 

-Susan Crockett, Vice President & Senior Technology Officer of Health and Nutrition, General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition.

-Jim Koppel, Director of the Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota.

-Kristen Ehresmann, Director of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division, Minnesota Department of Health.

 -Mike Troy, Manager of Behavioral Health Services at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

Jim Meffert-Nelson, President-Elect of the Minnesota PTA.

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