Bill Text: NJ AR169 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges school districts to use USDA MyPlate program and information technology to promote and monitor student nutrition as part of Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-05-20 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [AR169 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-AR169-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Urges school districts to use USDA MyPlate program and information technology to promote and monitor student nutrition as part of Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging school districts to use certain programs to promote and monitor student nutrition as part of the health curriculum.
Whereas, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years; and
Whereas, The percentage of children between the ages of 6-11 in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010, and the percentage of obese adolescents between the ages of 12-19 increased from 5% to 18% over the same time period; and
Whereas, Childhood obesity has immediate and long-term negative effects on health and well-being, and significantly increases the risk for developing many chronic illnesses and afflictions, including, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, strokes, osteoarthritis, and several forms of cancer; and
Whereas, Healthy lifestyle habits, including physical activity and healthy eating, lower the risk of becoming obese and help prevent the myriad of health issues related to obesity; and
Whereas, In 2011, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the MyPlate program to replace the food pyramid and serve as its current nutrition guide; and
Whereas, MyPlate, which can be accessed on-line at ChooseMyPlate.gov, provides practical information and recommendations to help consumers make healthier food choices; and
Whereas, MyPlate depicts a place setting and glass divided into five food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy), and emphasizes that a total of 50% of the plate, or each meal, be represented by fruits and vegetables; and
Whereas, In addition to MyPlate, interactive, information technology-based programs can help students monitor their food consumption, and can assist students in making appropriate dietary improvements to their eating behaviors; and
Whereas, By providing a safe and supportive learning environment, schools play an integral role in fostering healthy student behaviors, and provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating habits; and
Whereas, With proper teacher instruction and supervision, incorporating the USDA MyPlate program and interactive, information technology-based programs into a school district's health curriculum would be invaluable tools to promote nutrition and healthy eating, help students monitor their eating habits, and combat the growing epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature urges school districts to help combat the growing epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents by:
a. incorporating the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPlate program into the district's instruction under the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education in order to promote nutrition and healthy eating;
b. utilizing interactive, information technology-based programs as part of the instruction to help students monitor their food consumption and make appropriate dietary improvements to their eating behaviors; and
c. requiring middle school students to annually use information technology-based programs to monitor their food consumption for a one-week period to increase their awareness of the potential impact of their food choices on their health.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the State Board of Education to be disseminated to all public school districts.
STATEMENT
This Assembly resolution urges school districts to incorporate the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPlate program and interactive, information technology-based programs into the instruction offered under the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. Incorporating these programs into the instruction will promote nutrition and healthy eating, and will help students monitor their food consumption and make appropriate dietary improvements to their eating behaviors. The Assembly resolution also urges school districts to require that middle school students annually use information technology-based programs to monitor their food consumption for a one-week period to increase their awareness of the potential impact of their food choices on their health.
MyPlate, which can be accessed on-line at ChooseMyPlate.gov, provides practical information and recommendations to help consumers make healthier food choices. Interactive, information technology-based programs can help students to monitor their food consumption and make appropriate dietary improvements. Incorporating MyPlate and information-technology-based programs into a school district's health instruction will help students monitor their eating habits, promote nutrition and healthy eating, and combat the growing epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents.
According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Childhood obesity has immediate and long-term negative effects on health and well-being, and significantly increases the risk for developing many chronic illnesses and afflictions, including, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, strokes, osteoarthritis, and several forms of cancer.
