News Release
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Contact: Jeanne S McVey, 202-686-2210, ext. 316, jeannem@pcrm.org

School Lunches Still Feeding Obesity Epidemic, Doctors Say
Annual Nutrition Report Card Awards Only One A; D.C. Public Schools Get an F

Washington—Children heading back to school in Detroit, Miami, and other large school districts will be getting school lunches that have dramatically improved over the last year, according to the latest School Lunch Report Card issued by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Other large districts, however, such as the District of Columbia, are failing to provide healthy meals that will help combat the current epidemic of childhood overweight and other diet-related health problems.

"With childhood obesity one of the nation's most serious health concerns, kids need less junk food in the schools," says Jen Keller, R.D., PCRM's nutrition projects coordinator. "In Detroit, the school lunches went from an F in 2002 to an A this year, and that means those kids are getting fewer greasy chicken nuggets and more cholesterol-free, low-fat, fruits, vegetables, and vegetarian entrées. School districts such as Los Angeles have been slow to learn and need to follow Detroit's lead if we are going to combat alarmingly high rates of childhood diabetes and incipient heart disease."

PCRM’s nutrition department graded the nutritional quality of the elementary school lunches served in 18 of the largest U.S. school districts participating in the federally assisted National School Lunch Program. The program is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Here are the results:

For a copy of the report, see the Report Cards section. For an interview with a PCRM nutrition expert, contact Jeanne Stuart McVey at 202-686-2210, ext. 316, or jeannem@pcrm.org.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical research studies, opposes unethical human experimentation, and promotes alternatives to animal research.

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