Tell Congress Our Kids Need Healthy Lunches -- and Help Fight Diabetes
One in three children faces a life with diabetes unless we drastically change course. Children spend a large portion of their day at school, so it's vital that schools provide healthy foods. Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and 57 million more have pre-diabetes. Those numbers are startling, but they are on pace to get much worse if we don't act quickly to address childhood obesity.
The Senate already passed a bill that would invest in school nutrition programs, improve standards for school meals and get unhealthy snacks out of school vending machines and cafeterias. Now, the House must also pass a child nutrition bill before the current law expires in September.
Ask your Representative to work to keep America's children healthy and support this critical legislation today!
Dear [Decision Maker],
As your constituent, I ask you to support the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act (H.R. 5504) -- the House's legislation to reauthorize our nation's major federal child nutrition programs. The Senate approved a new child nutrition bill before the August recess. Now the House must pass it before the current act expires at the end of September.
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The child nutrition act makes a strong investment in our children's future. It will provide local school districts with resources to improve the quality and nutritional value of meals served to students; require the USDA to strengthen nutrition standards for foods sold in vending machines, a la carte lines and school stores; and require the USDA to implement standards based on current nutrition science.
If current trends continue, one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in their lifetimes. In order to curb this epidemic, we need to promote healthy lifestyles at school where our children spend a large part of their day.
Please follow the Senate's lead and pass H.R. 5504 to ensure a healthier future for America's children.
