As a graduate student in public health, I am concerned with the obesity epidemic in North Carolina. The project to map availability of healthy foods confirms that kids are exposed to junk food at every turn in North Carolina communities ("Students point the way to good food," Nov. 8 news article). That's all the more reason for the state to step up efforts to fight obesity in schools.
With the fifth-highest rate of childhood obesity in the country, it's clear that North Carolina needs to take decisive action to get our kids healthy. It may be cheaper in the short run to serve fatty, processed foods in school meals, but what will be the impact to our long-term health care costs if our children grow up to have heart disease, diabetes and all the other health problems associated with obesity?
While some of our schools are working hard to provide healthy meals to students, others simply can't afford to without support from state government. The state needs to require that all foods sold in schools meet improved nutrition standards that adhere to national guidelines and provide funding to implement them.
