A student selects a salad while passing through the lunch line. | STAFF PHOTO BY TYLER STEWART
CLARK COUNTY – Broccoli bites with dip. Red pepper strips. Cucumber tomato salad.
School lunch isn’t what it was 30 years ago, when an array of fan favorites such as fried foods and pizza filled the menu and the stomachs of our youth. Now, local schools are offering alternatives to the popular fried items, such as baked tater tots, and more fresh fruits and vegetables in an effort to increase the health of children.
The big change happened for many in 2010 with the passage of the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that set nutritional standards and required schools to increase the number of available of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free and low-fat milk in schools while reducing the levels of sodium and fat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
However, even with that change, the amount of youth facing health issues caused by obesity is still high. A new study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports 16.6% of Hoosier youth are obese, according to 2017-18 data.
“It’s not a rarity anymore to see 10- or 12-year-old kids that are already on medication for diabetes,” said Clark County Health Officer Eric Yazel, who also works as an emergency room doctor. “Obviously, with diabetes, along with it comes numerous other health concerns … If you’re 50 when diagnosed and it takes 20 years for those complications to happen, then you’re 70. But, when you’re 12, and things take about 20 years to develop, that’s a whole different ball game.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, complications include cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, hearing impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and more.
Yazel said the rise in obesity in Southern Indiana is a community health concern that doesn’t get enough attention.
Meanwhile, local school officials are working to educate children to address the issue early.
Melissa Pixley, food service director with Clarksville Community Schools, said she saw the shift to healthier eating just prior to the 2010 act, so she started making changes earlier. Now, the district offers many fresh vegetables and fruit options, whole grains, baked versus fried foods and more. She said soft drinks were removed and replaced with waters and flavored waters.
“We also do training with our staff [to teach them how to] guide the children that are going through the serving line to help make those choices that are good for them, to make sure they get what they need for their lunch, their grain, their protein, the fruits, vegetables and their milk,” Pixley said.
She also posts marketing materials explaining what healthy eating entails and its benefits at the various schools and provides information that is handed out in classrooms, as well.
Pixley said students are buying into the healthier habits, even choosing the vegetables over other options.
“You’d be surprised! They really do!” Pixley said. “I thought, I don’t think these students are going to take broccoli, but they took it really well. I think it’s how you present it to them and how you talk about it to them.”
Pixley said if a student isn’t quite sure, she offers them a taste first, so that they can decide prior to committing.
Greater Clark County Schools also works to offer healthy options for students on the menu. Erin Bojorquez, public information officer for GCCS, said the district also tries to encourage youth exercise, by providing pedometers to students, for example, to help them track their steps and participate in step challenges.
Yazel said he feels the schools are doing a good job educating children, but he said more needs to be done.
“I think one of the problems is that the adults are setting the example for our kids,” Yazel said. “They’re leading a sedentary lifestyle. ... People are out running errands and the easiest thing to do is to speed through a fast food drive-thru to get something to eat.”
Yazel said adults need to try to increase their activity, even if it is in little segments, such as parking farther away when going to a store.
“Try to meal plan and make that a focus of your day to carve out time to make sure you have a healthy meal,” he added. “All those things can go a long way, and those can help set a good example for our children and hopefully they’ll grow up to develop healthy habits.”
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