Something to chew on

Published September 27, 2012

Stockton Sentinel

Stockton, Kansas

Four area newspapers last week featured a story on their front page about the new school lunch rules. It’s the hot topic of the young school year, and although I don’t have a student in my house, I do have a school principal, and I hear about the subject almost every day. Probably like many of you, the conversation at our evening dinner table many times includes something about lunch. This is not a topic that we’ve ever discussed at dinner before, so from that perspective alone, something has obviously changed.

             

Ironically, the Sunday, Sept. 16, Salina Journal that featured a dominant front page story about slimming down school lunches, also carried a story on page A5 about 832 Salinans who signed up to participate in the Pound Plunge. The organizing chairwoman for the 12-week weight loss program was quoted in saying that Saline County has the highest rate of obesity in the state. 

            

 For many of us, controlling our weight is a constant struggle, and many of our health issues are related to being overweight. The old saying becomes more true as we get older: “You are what you eat.” The older I get, I literally wear what I eat.

             

My husband is not a picky eater, thankfully. After all, he eats what I cook for him, and sometimes, that’s asking a lot. But he’s not big on veggies, and there are certain things that he just will not eat. I’m not going to crawl over to either side of the fence when it comes to the changes in the school lunch program, because I’m not eating it to know the difference. What I do know is that I’ve never heard him talk so much about lunch until now.

             

As an outsider looking on and listening in, I do have several observations. First and foremost, these changes have nothing to do with our own kitchen staff; they are doing what they are required to do. Secondly, I understand the idea behind the new requirements is to encourage healthy habits and educate students to make good choices, which, over time, will hopefully lead to a healthier lifestyle. But if kids are so hungry and start bringing snacks or other additional food to supplement lunch, or if they go home and “pig out” at the end of the day, what has truly been accomplished? And finally, I wonder—if nothing had ever been said publicly about the changes being made, would everyone be making such a big deal about it?

             

My Aunt Elda once said, “The only one who appreciates change is a baby.” We are all hard-wired to resist change, especially when it affects us personally and someone else forces it upon us. And we really resist changes that the government enforces, because (as I hear it said frequently), “I thought we live in a free country!” But just like laws that prohibit other bad habits or tendencies that we as humans have, the government finally has to step in and protect us from ourselves.

           

The bottom line is – we all could eat healthier, get more exercise, and in general, take better care of our bodies. It’s just too bad that the government had to step into the soup (and the mashed potatoes and gravy, and bread, and cinnamon rolls, and…).