Members of Congress are known for playing politics, focusing their priorities on re-election rather than American prosperity.
House Republicans have done it once again, blocking the implementation of standards for the nutritional quality of school lunches that feed millions of American children, 31 percent of whom are overweight or obese.
Those who object to setting standards for the nutritional value of school lunches state that the costs are too high. However, this perspective is refuted by national obesity costs of up to $210 billion a year, proving that healthy lunches can save us money in the long run.
The regulations that go into effect in July are marginal, requiring whole grains and less sodium. It's hard to understand how these could have such an unaffordable increase in cost. Tighter regulations on school lunches are needed to fight off bad eating habits in our children and incorporate new, better behaviors.
Opposition to the new guidelines all comes down to political push by companies that could lose money due to tighter regulations. These companies want children to eat their brand and increase their profits, and would be happy to gain more money for their oversized pockets while the next generation suffers the consequences.
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School lunch guidelines help our nation's children be happier, healthier and more productive, so it's important that we make sure they are fed food that will benefit them.
Alexander Vanderwiel
Rochester
