http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/michelle-obamas-low-calorie-school-lunch-video_n_1914394.html

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Michelle Obama's Low-Calorie School Lunches Slammed By 'Hungry' High Schoolers
Posted: 09/26/2012 8:42 am EDT Updated: 09/26/2012 1:22 pm EDT




Michelle Obama's childhood obesity initiative has been the subject of conservative criticism for some time, and now there's another group joining in on the attack.

In a four-minute YouTube video called "We Are Hungry," a troop of Kansas high schoolers take on the restrictions mandated by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which limits the calorie count of school lunches to 850. The policy, which was intended to not only wipe out hunger and malnutrition among American students but to encourage healthy eating, also calls for more fruit and vegetables and fewer sweet and fatty foods.

But some say the amount of food you get in 850 calories simply isn't enough -- especially if you're a rapidly growing teen.

"Think of a high-school boy who works out at least three hours a day, not including farm work," said Brenda Kirkham, an employee at the Wallace County High School where the video was filmed. "I'm furious," she told the Wichita Eagle.

Kirkham's colleague Linda O'Connor penned the video, which features students criticizing the calorie restrictions, passing out in the classroom, on the football field and in the gym, and going to great lengths to feel full, such as sneaking out of class to a locker stashed with snacks.

The video opens with a stat from KidsHealth.org's "A Guide to Eating Healthy for Sports" that says active teens require 2000 to 5000 calories per day to adequately meet their growth and energy needs.

Yet still, FLOTUS has defended her campaign.

In an interview with Scholastic News earlier this year, she told a reporter that 'Let’s Move!’ is "not about having government tell people what to do." "I don't believe in absolute 'no's' to anything, because that wouldn't make life fun," Obama said.

Meanwhile, childhood obesity experts are looking beyond food as fuel for the growing childhood obesity epidemic.

In a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association researchers found that high levels of urinary Bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical widely used to prevent metal corrosion in food packaging, are associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity.

For African-American children, doctors say stress is a significant cause for concern.

According to Janet Tomiyama of the University of California, the experience of chronic stress appears to have a greater negative effect on black girls' weight than their white counterparts.

In her study, published this month in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Tomiyama found that even though black girls reported less stress overall, the effect of chronic stress on weight was stronger, resulting in an 0.8 BMI unit increase every two years for every one unit increase in stress.

The findings, researchers say, might explain why racial disparities in obesity persist.

Our neighbor kid told us about the lunches. You get four tater tots, or two French fries, a tiny sandwich and one or two fruit or vegetable servings and you're supposed to run on that until dinner, including athletes.

I have a feeling part of the problem some people are having is the removal of junk food & the American mindset of "eat til you can't eat anymore". We need to understand that we eat to live. Our problem has been that most of the time we live to eat. The US has a real obesity problem, which is contributing to the health issues people are having at an earlier age now. It looks like they're being offered a reasonable amount. They just don't want the healthier food.

I've seen what her lunches look like. Not only do they look quite pathetic in terms of keeping kids from being starving and therefore performing poorly for the rest of the day, but they actually look quite unhealthy too. I know I wouldn't want to go anywhere near 'em, yet they'd probably try to either force me to eat it or bring something equally as repulsive with me to comply with their "standards." This ain't gonna make kids skinny. If anything, they'll be pigging out more on junk more now because you're feeding them crap for lunch. Yes, we have an obesity problem. That doesn't mean unhealthy lunches touted as healthy is gonna fight childhood obesity. I think this entire program is just something to make people feel like they're doing more than they are.

A little perspective.

Offering healthier choices is one thing, but it seems like they are simply trying to restrict their meals. Prob. have another agenda for that besides wanting kids to be "healthy" (i.e. money). My brother was a football player from 7th grade up until he graduated. He ate 850 calories for breakfast.

[quote="CeCe"]I have a feeling part of the problem some people are having is the removal of junk food & the American mindset of "eat til you can't eat anymore". We need to understand that we eat to live. Our problem has been that most of the time we live to eat. The US has a real obesity problem, which is contributing to the health issues people are having at an earlier age now. It looks like they're being offered a reasonable amount. They just don't want the healthier food.

Well, junk food isn't the sole beast either. Inactivity is. Granted, diet is 80% of being healthy....but everything should be in moderation, in addition to exercise. I'm not against healthier food and getting rid of some of the junk, but telling people they can't drink soda or eat candy bars and then go the extra mile by removing it from places isn't going to stop or even curb obesity. Earlier generations of kids were eating all kinds of junk....but more kids were outside playing and burning it off. They don't want people to be fat, but they put up McDonald's, KFC and Burger King on every other corner instead of building parks or playgrounds where people can exercise and run. $200 for gym memberships that a lot of people can't afford. You can't "preach" what to eat, then counteract that in the name of making a dollar. I think if you truly wanted to help people live a healthier lifestyle and stop obesity, taking the candy machine of the hallway then calling it a day is not the way to do it.
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