Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Childhood Obesity: What Role Does Public Policy Play?, Shannon Turbeville

Kaleidoscope

The purpose of this review is to explore public policies that impact the health of American children and adolescents. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has a significant impact on school-age children’s nutritional intake. Foods provided by the NSLP have been analyzed for their nutritional content. Although these foods did not exceed the recommended total caloric intake, they were below other nutritional standards, and these shortcomings are primarily attributable to cultural preferences. Other important contributors to childhood obesity are unregulated school food items sold in vending machines. These items are becoming increasingly more prevalent in schools. Public policy is an …