Report Title:

Promoting healthy eating; encouraging healthier drink options in vending machines.(SD1)

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, na keiki o ka aina typically spend at least seven hours at public school during the weekday; and

WHEREAS, during the extensive time students are at public schools, they should be provided with nutritious food and drinks in order to mature in developmentally appropriate ways; and

WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society, the American Dietetic Association, the American Heart Association, and the National Institutes of Health now recommend that there be greater emphasis in the American diet on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; and

WHEREAS, fruits and vegetables promote good health and a healthy lifestyle because, in most cases, they are low in fat and calories, contain no cholesterol, contain fiber, contain numerous essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, and contain phytochemicals which may provide additional protection against the risk of cancer and heart disease; and

WHEREAS, national health authorities recommend that Americans increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables to five to nine servings per day to promote good health and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease; and

WHEREAS, research shows that people who eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day have one-half the risk of developing cancer as those who eat fewer servings of fruits and vegetables; and

WHEREAS, less 40 percent of all American adults eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and only 26 percent of children aged two to 19 eat the recommended five or more servings per day; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health (DOH) is striving to increase public awareness of the importance of eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day for better health; and

WHEREAS, increased consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables promotes a sustainable environment; and

WHEREAS, all the essential organic nutrients in the human diet are synthesized by plants and microorganisms; and

WHEREAS, it is equally important to offer nutritional drinks, such as bottled water, milk, and 100% fruit juices to students, teachers, and staff on public school campuses; and

WHEREAS, a significant minority of Hawaii school children identify themselves as vegetarian, or come from vegetarian families; and

WHEREAS, these children are at a disadvantage if no vegetarian school lunch meals are offered in their respective schools; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that DOH and the Departments of Agriculture (DOA) and Education (DOE) are urged to promote increased awareness of the importance of eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOA, DOE, and DOH are encouraged to develop nutritionally sound menu plans that will provide alternate vegetarian school lunches in such a way that all students will be assured nutritionally balanced diets, regardless of their food preferences and avoidances; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the DOE is urged to consider offering 100% fruit juices, milk, and bottled water, preferably from Hawaii, for softdrink vending machines on public school campuses; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the DOE is requested to report to the Legislature by September 1, 2002, on programs made to offer alternate vegetarian school lunches; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOH, DOA, and DOE are requested to submit a report to the Legislature by September 1, 2002, on progress made in promoting increased awareness of the importance of eating five or more fruits and vegetables per day; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, and the Superintendent and the Chairperson of the Board of Education.