Pediatricians, Health & Anti-Hunger Advocates Applaud California Senate for Advancing Landmark Bill to Help Students Learn, Grow, Thrive
Pediatricians, Health & Anti-Hunger Advocates Applaud California Senate for Advancing Landmark Bill to Help Students Learn, Grow, Thrive
SB 348 Ensures Every California Student Has Access to Two Free, Healthy Meals at School, Including Half-Days
Sacramento, CA – California students are one step closer to receiving fresh, nutritious meal options at school now that Senate Bill 348 (Skinner) earned the Senate’s unanimous approval on Tuesday evening. Pediatricians, health and anti-hunger advocates are cheering the measure’s momentum as it heads to Assembly policy committees for consideration.
“Access to nutritious, fresh meals is critical for developing healthy bodies and strong minds in young children,” said Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D., a pediatrician practicing in San Francisco, and Chair of the California Medical Association (CMA) Board of Trustees. “Diets high in added sugar and added salt can lead to severe health problems including diabetes and heart disease. Senate Bill 348 is a chance for California to finally set science-based standards around added sugar and sodium in school meals.”
If Senator Nancy Skinner’s measure were to become law, students – who already receive two free meals per day through the state’s School Meals for All program – would have access to food with pediatrician-recommended levels of sugar and salt during the school day, including half-days. The bill also examines best-practices for ensuring students have enough time to eat.
“Building healthy eating habits from a young age is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses later in life,” said Mary Ann Bauman, M.D., President, Western States Board of Directors, American Heart Association. “SB 348 puts pediatricians’ recommendations for amounts of added sugar and salt into action, expanding healthy meal options at school and making sure children have the opportunity to choose foods that will set them up for lifelong health.”
“As cases of chronic diseases like diabetes surge among youth, California must take decisive steps that recognize and address the severity of this health crisis,” said Lisa Murdock, Chief Advocacy Officer for the American Diabetes Association. “Senate Bill 348 can save lives and untold health care costs by implementing pediatrician-recommended reductions to added sugar and salt levels in school meals, supporting lifelong health for California students.”
“SB 348 is about providing students with meal options at school that support their health, well-being and cognitive development. Foods rich in brain-boosting nutrients with less added sugars and salt can help students form good eating habits at a young age, but also may help with their academic performance by improving their concentration and energy levels,” said Fatinah Darwish-Elsherbiny, MPH, RDN, President of the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “California can lead the nation in bolstering mental and physical health through nutritious school meals by passing this important bill.”
“SB 348 builds on California’s continued leadership on School Meals for All,” said Becky Silva, director of government relations at the California Association of Food Banks. “Now that every child has access to two meals a day thanks to Senator Skinner’s leadership, we are glad this bill will take the next step to ensure that they have adequate time to eat those nourishing meals. We are also excited the bill will allow schools to offer an additional meal for kids with larger caloric needs.”
Doctors have begun sounding the alarm on a concerning trend: the emergence of chronic diseases like diabetes in increasingly younger children. In a recent op-ed, Dr. Lena Al-Sarraf details the cases she’s seen first-hand in her practice: type 2 diabetes in a patient as young as 12 years old, and hypertension in a 3 year-old. Dr. Al-Sarraf joins a host of doctors and public health experts in calling for healthy, fresh-grown food options in schools as an effective response to the youth diabetes epidemic. Read the full piece here.
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