Oral

In December of 2010, Congress passed the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act giving the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the authority to regulate all foods sold in schools both in and out of the school meals program. Although the USDA has long regulated the nutritional quality of school meals, this is the first time that the Federal Government has had the ability to set standards for "competitive foods" such as foods sold in vending machines, school stores, a la carte lines, etc. These foods are sold in the majority of schools around the country and vary tremendously in nutritional quality due to a patchwork of local and state policies. While advocates for national standards argue they are crucial to improving school nutrition environments and curbing the obesity epidemic, opponents contend that strong federal standards would negatively impact school revenues and thus, school services. This session will present a “state-of-the-states” report examining what is currently being sold in the school food environment, followed by a presentation of the first ever Health Impact Assessment conducted on a federal competitive foods policy, which will address the methods, findings, implications and lessons learned from the study that can both inform policy decisions and future HIA practice. Presenters will then explore focus group and national polling results on the topic of competitive foods, followed by a detailed set of policy recommendations to USDA.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe the current state of foods sold outside of the school meal program across the country; 2. Discuss the potential physical and financial health impacts of a national competitive food policy; and 3. Formulate recommendations for policy makers and implementers related to improving the competitive food environment in schools across the country.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)