The Texas Department of Agriculture recently announced the new Texas Public School Nutrition Policy, which limits the number of grams of fat and sugar Texas school children may consume at school each week.

The new policy, which becomes effective Aug. 1, also calls for a phase-in period to eliminate deep-fat frying in food preparation for meals, snacks or a la carte items, and limited portion sizes for snacks such as cookies, chips and frozen desserts, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Another important limitation in the new policy is applied to the sale of foods that compete with school operation of breakfast, lunch or after-school snack programs such as fund-raising events.

“This policy will help raise awareness and make a small dent in removing inappropriate messages from the school if pizza, fast-food vendors and vending machines are removed,” says Glenys Johnson, clinical nutrition director at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. “Every effort helps. This does not, however, go far enough considering the epidemic nature of the current childhood overweight issue.”

Overweight children and adolescents is a top nutritional problem in the United States, experts say, citing heredity, poor eating habits and inadequate physical exercise as causes of the problem.

• The incidence of childhood obesity has doubled in the past 20 years and continues to grow at a shocking rate.
• In the United States, 10.4 percent of children 2 to 5 years old, 15.3 percent of children 6 to 11 years old, and 15.5 percent of children 12 to 19 years old are overweight or obese. In Texas, 35 percent of schoolaged children are classified as overweight or obese.
• It is estimated that 60 percent of the children who are overweight or obese have high blood pressure, high levels of fat in the blood and insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by insulin resistance, also develops secondary to childhood obesity.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Type 2 diabetes may account for 8 to 45 percent of the new cases of childhood diabetes.

The new school policy states that food items served in all Texas schools should not contain more than 28 grams of fat per serving size more than twice a week. The goal is to reduce this from 28 grams of fat per serving size to 23 grams by 2006-2007, according to a news release issued by the state.

Fried potato products such as french fries cannot exceed three ounces per serving and may only be offered no more than once a week in elementary schools and no more than three times a week in middle/junior high schools. Students may purchase only one three-ounce serving of these products at one time.

Other regulations include limiting portion sizes of snacks such as offering only a one-ounce bag of regular chips or a two-ounce serving of cookies, and offering fruits and/or vegetables on all points of service.

“Limiting foods of minimal nutritional value is great; however, it will not solve the issue of over consumption of calories vs. output of energy,” Johnson says. “Children are growing and laying down new tissue in their bones, muscles and vital organs daily. Good nutrition will allow their bodies to make the most vital and disease-resistant person that child’s genetics will allow. The side effects of not eating a well-balanced diet are not going to be evident overnight.”

Johnson said the best way for parents to teach their children good eating habits is to lead by example.

“Parents have the greatest impact on their child’s eating habits, which come from the behavior parents model to their children,” she says. “As children grow older they will model the behaviors that have been demonstrated to them during their upbringing.”

To learn more about other regulations included in the new school nutrition policy, visit the Texas Department of Agriculture Web site at www.agr.state.tx.us.

for parents sending their children to school with packed lunches

• Make a general list to guide your children toward balanced lunches.
• Let your children decide from the healthy foods you have in your home what they would like to have in their lunches. For example:
  • A starch source (bread, crackers, rice, pasta, potatoes).
  • A protein source (chicken, fish, egg; less frequently cheese, peanut butter, legumes, such as beans).
  • A dairy source (milk, yogurt; less frequently cheese).
  • A fruit or a vegetable.
• If children can combine foods from their own favorites, they will be more likely to eat them.
• Continue to guide your children as to age-appropriate portions of foods.