DON’T WAIT – ORGANIZE AND ADVOCATE! 10TH BIENNIAL CHILDHOOD OBESITY CONFERENCE
ANAHEIM, CA
JULY 17, 2019
Colin Schwartz, MPP
Deputy Director, Legislative Affairs
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
Since 1971, CSPI has worked to:Make it easier to eat healthfullyPrevent and mitigate diet- and obesity-related diseases
Our Strategies:National, state, local policyEducation (newsletter, social media)Advocacy (regulatory, legislative)Litigation
CSPI AccomplishmentsNutrition Facts labels on packaged foods
Added trans fat to labelsRemove trans fat from food supplyMenu labeling at chain restaurants, supermarkets, movie theaters Warning labels on alcoholic beveragesLitigation—ads, labels, trans fat, marketing to childrenReduce junk food marketing to kidsFunding for food safety and CDC's nutrition, physical activity, and obesity programFood Safety Modernization ActPassage of Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
Soda and junk food out of school vending, a la carte, school stores, etc. & improve school meals
What are the school meals programs?
National School Lunch Program: nearly half of all children in the U.S. (more than 30 million).
School Breakfast Program: more than 14 million children.
Taxpayer investment in both programs over $16 billion in FY2019.
Meals, snacks, beverages must meet nutrition standards
Every 5 years Congress takes up Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR)
Importance of strong school nutrition standards for low-income children
Helps close the gap in healthier food access between higher and lower-income schools
Helps reduce stigma
Decreases obesity among low-income students
The majority of participants are low-income
School lunch: 73%
School breakfast: 85%
Participation is increasing among low-income children
School lunch: 15.5m in 2000 to 22m in 2017
School breakfast: 7.5m in 2000 to 12.4m in 2017
School lunch participation trends
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Total
Free
Paid
RP
Great Recession (Dec., 2007)
Updated Nutrition Standards (Sept., 2012)
Source: USDA Child Nutrition Tables
How are things going?
Virtually all school districts serving healthier lunches with more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, less salt and trans fat.
IMPORTANCE OF HHFKA
IMPORTANCE OF HHFKA
Impact of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
Updated school meal and snack standards: prevent more than 2 million cases of childhood obesity and save $792 million over ten years.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is “one of the most important national obesity prevention policy achievements in recent decades.”
- Harvard School of Public Health, 2015
Impact of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
Recent USDA study found: 23.6 percent increase of nutritional quality for lunches; 21.7 percent
increase for breakfast. The vast majority of schools (85 percent) met or were close to meeting
the first sodium-reduction target in SY 2014-2015. The majority of school meals met daily requirements for fruits (95 percent)
and vegetables (81 percent). Same amount of plate waste from before and after the updated standards. School meal participation was highest in schools that had the healthiest
meals.
SO HOW DID ADVOCATES DO IT?
CSPI case study on HHFKA
Provide an in-depth look into how HHFKA came to pass to inform other nutrition and public health policy advocacy initiatives
Case study covers 2003 to 2015
Focus on nutrition standards
https://cspinet.org/schoolfoodcasestudy
1990s: First identify the problem and the solution
Research
Childhood obesity increasing
Unhealthy school foods
Policy cost-effective, sustainable
Early advocacy success: 1994 CNR meals based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans
2000s: Tactics used leading up to HHFKA
Build consensus and coordinate action
Build momentum at national, state, and local level
CSPI cultivated interest and technical assistance to pass policies
Use the research for advocacy
Bring industry to the table
Diffuse opposition
2000s: Leading up to HHFKA
Competitive foods (snacks and beverages)
Congressional legislation (2005-2010)
Institute of Medicine report (2007)
USDA and CDC case studies, CSPI state report cards
Bipartisan and industry support by 2006
Amendment to 2007 farm bill
School meals
Bush Administration contracted Institute of Medicine report on school meals (released in 2009)
Moment of opportunity
Perfect storm
Nontraditional and new partners
Use of research
Funders
Communications
Getting HHFKA to the finish line
Challenges
Anti-hunger groups preferred House CNR bill
Senate CNR bill SNAP offset
How challenges have been resolved
Bridge organizations
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act passes!
After the law passes: regulations and defense
Implementation and defense of HHFKA
Implementation
Comment on regulations
135,000 of the 138,000 comments on meal standards
240,000 of the 247,800 comments on competitive foods
Defense of HHFKA
Opposition
First came pizza as a vegetable
Defense of HHFKA
Additional opposition
Limits on french fries
Whole-grain rich requirement
Sodium reduction targets
Countering the opposition
Work with USDA and White House
Key takeaways
Key takeaways: Policy
National policy change often takes time
20 years leading up to HHFKA
State and local momentum
Passing legislation first step of the process: implementation and defense essential
Timing (and luck) plays a role: “All the stars aligning”
Key takeaways: Advocacy
Parents, concerned citizens, health professionals, and local leaders have power, but do not always realize it
Grassroots involvement essential
Mix of research and real-life success stories
Make up for limited resources through coalitions
Differences of opinion between allies as much of a barrier as opposition from legislators or industry
Key takeaways: Industry
Food industry not monolithic
Public health organizations can have different motives than industry, yet still work together
Advantage of national nutrition policy easier and less expensive for industry than different policies in states and localities
Industry can respond to changing demand
Company innovation: lowering sodium
Aramark
ConAgra Foods
Domino’s Pizza (Smart Slice)
General Mills
Kellogg’s
Kraft Foods
Mars
Nestlé
PepsiCo
Revolution Foods
Schwan’s Company
Unilever
And many more!
School innovation: lowering sodium
Recent USDA study
USDA released the Successful Approaches to Reduce Sodium in School Meals Study in June, 2019
A large variety of products that meet current sodium standards are available for use in school meals
Range of effective school strategies
Additional communication and guidance to support implementation of the sodium standards were the most frequently requested technical assistance resources:
Dissemination of research on the health impacts of sodium and sodium substitutes
Enhanced planning and communication with all stakeholders for implementing future targets
Communication materials for diverse audiences, including schools, cooks, and FSMCs
Targeted resources for food preparation, infrastructure, and trainings
WHOLE GRAIN INNOVATION
Where we are now?
USDA’s final rule:
Delayed the second sodium reduction targets from SY17-18 to SY24-25 (initially delayed to SY20-21) and eliminated target 3
Weakened the whole grain-rich requirement from 100% to 50% (initially proposed only extending waivers)
Allows 1% flavored milk (without calorie or sugar limits)
The final rule violates the law and is based on: National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (formerly, Institute of
Medicine) 2009 report: School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children 2010-2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (adopted the NAM recommendations) The 2015-2020 DGAs reinforced the same recommendations
SODIUM TOLERABLE UPPER LIMIT: 1,900MG/2,200MG/2,300MG
SODIUM DRI REPORT
WHOLE GRAINS: WHOLE GRAINS AT LEAST ½ TOTAL GRAIN CONSUMPTION
HOW ARE WE USING THESE BEST PRACTICES TO COUNTER THE ROLLBACKS?
How are we using these best practices to counter the rollbacks?
Litigation
Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Raising awareness: ads, Congressional briefing
Lobbying
Sharing research
Grassroots mobilization
What can you do?
Take action: www.CSPInet.org/actionalerts
Pass state/local policy
Pass school district policy
Governor issue executive order
State agency guidance, memo, or formal communication
If you work with schools and/or companies:
Provide technical assistance, best practices for meeting sodium and whole grain-rich standards
Thank you!
Colin Schwartz, MPP
Deputy Director, Legislative Affairs
Center for Science in the Public Interest
