Doctors Helping Teachers School Kids on Healthy Eating

On March 26, the McDonald’s in Oxford, N.C., held a “McTeacher’s Night,” in which West Oxford Elementary School teachers worked behind the fast-food counter, selling burgers and chicken nuggets to kids in an effort to raise money. Campaigns like the Coalition for Healthy School Food and the Physicians Committee’s Healthy School Lunches initiative have been working to get this type of unhealthful fare out of the school cafeteria—and for good reason. According to a report published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 17 percent of children in the United States are obese. In North Carolina, 16 percent of children aged 10 to 17 are obese. Junk food like pizza, bacon, and burgers are some of the top sources of saturated fat in the American diet. (The highest source? Cheese.) The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat intake to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Red and processed meat products have also been linked to various forms of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels. 

In a letter to the school principal, the Physicians Committee detailed the ramifications that come from feeding kids a diet full of saturated fat and cholesterol. But we want to help West Oxford Elementary School get a passing grade in nutrition! We’ve offered to sponsor a trip to the local farmers market as well as a tour of Granville Medical Center. Do you know a school that needs a nutrition overhaul? Send them our Resources for Schools. Or if you know a school that offers healthful, plant-based meals for its students, nominate them for a Golden Carrot Award!