Students from low-income households — especially those in the Northeast, the South and rural America — enrolled in government-funded meal plans between kindergarten and eighth grade have an increased risk of obesity, according to a study recently published in Health Economics.
For the study, researchers examined data on 21,260 students — some enrolled in meal plans and others not — who were monitored from kindergarten to eighth grade. Through statistical analysis, researchers were able to determine the longer a student was enrolled in a school meal program, the higher that child's likelihood of becoming obese became. Researchers were also able to determine a short-term increased risk of obesity in students who were on meal plans but later discontinued their participation.
"Policymakers need to consider all the aspects of school meal programs — from availability and affordability to nutritional content and tastiness," said researcher Wen You, PhD, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Blacksburg. "It is important to have extra policy support that will allow funding for programs such as chef-to-school and farm-to-school, as well as culinary training for cafeteria staff so kids actually enjoy eating what is ultimately prepared for them."
The study is limited in its analysis as it does not include data on children enrolled in meal plans conducted in accordance with nutrition standards established by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The legislation first took effect in the 2014-2015 school year.