Education Welcomes the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act

President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act Monday morning. The act will improve nutrition, focus on reducing childhood obesity, increase access to healthy food and increase monitoring and integrity of schools. School lunches are often shameful, and given to minors without power to voice complaints. Additionally it is unfair for the national government to raise expectations of student while not providing them with the fuel needed to meet them. The passing of this act is keeping up with science that shows without healthy bodies and proper food, brains cannot learn as well. The First Lady said about the legislation:

We can all agree that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, all children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow and to pursue their dreams, because in the end, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children.  Nothing.  And our hopes for their future should drive every single decision that we make.

This is wonderful and much needed news. Students often go hungry rather than eat school lunches. Other times when they do eat at school, the fried food laden with cheese and other fat-heavy condiments makes them ill. Another problem schools face is the lack of water, which the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act also changes, as it requires better access to drinking water. Children cannot think and learn, or even behave properly if they are focusing on their empty bellies, sick stomach and dry mouths. Additionally, the act also looks at the children's crucial, early growing years as it expands support for breastfeeding through WIC. A lifelong approach to childhood growth, health, brain development and subsequent learning capabilities will lead to a sustainable growth in education.

This new legislation is positive and will helps students learn better. The change leads to the question of how Americans see food. Food is a needed, positive force for the proper growth of children; food is not something to be found, something to quiet children. It is not a reward for good behavior or grades (the sweeter the bigger the prize). The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is a sustainable starting point in developing brains and bodies ready to learn, but it cannot be the ending point as well.

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