HR 9095

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution designating the 2006-2007 school year as
3	"Healthy School Lunch Year" in Florida.
4
5	WHEREAS, all children, regardless of ethnic, racial, or
6	religious background, are entitled to a healthy meal each day at
7	school in compliance with the mandate of the National School
8	Lunch Program, and
9	WHEREAS, a disproportionate rise in poor health indicators,
10	including obesity, risk for heart disease, diagnoses of cancer,
11	and adult onset diabetes, are linked to diet, and a significant
12	percentage of children who rely on free or reduced-price school
13	lunches are considered at risk for these diet-related
14	degenerative diseases, and
15	WHEREAS, recent studies indicate that more than one-fourth
16	of Florida's children are overweight or obese and are therefore
17	at higher risk of developing these health problems, and
18	WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American
19	Cancer Society, the American Dietetic Association, the American
20	Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the United
21	States Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of
22	Health recommend a greater emphasis in the American diet on
23	fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, which contain
24	fiber and essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals,
25	but are low in fat and calories and contain no cholesterol, and
26	WHEREAS, the USDA's Team Nutrition program has stated that
27	less than 15 percent of children eat the minimum daily
28	recommended servings of fruit, 35 percent eat no fruit on a
29	given day, only 17 percent consume the minimum daily recommended
30	servings of vegetables, and 20 percent eat no vegetables on a
31	given day, and exposure to vegetarian entrees in the school
32	cafeteria would positively influence children with poor eating
33	habits, and
34	WHEREAS, school children who identify themselves as
35	vegetarian or vegan or are from families who avoid meat and
36	dairy foods may be at a disadvantage if no appropriate school
37	lunch meals are offered in their respective schools, NOW,
38	THEREFORE,
39
40	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
41	Florida:
42
43	That the House of Representatives designates the 2006-2007
44	school year as "Healthy School Lunch Year" in Florida, a year in
45	which all school districts and parents of school children in the
46	state are urged to emphasize the importance of and to provide
47	daily diets consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
48	legumes, including regular vegetarian entr?e options.
49	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives
50	encourages each school district to observe a "Healthy School
51	Lunch Celebration" on May 1, 2007, to honor food service workers
52	for their contributions to the school children of Florida.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.