(WAND) - Illinois lawmakers are pushing to change food options in cafeteria lines. Health advocates say it's a positive step toward childhood health.
“Kids are currently eating almost 70% of their calories from ultra-processed foods. These are foods that lack nutrition. They’re designed to be addictive,” said End Chronic Disease CEO Kelly McKenna.
End Chronic Disease is a national nonprofit focused on preventing illnesses like diabetes, obesity and heart disease. She said many of these conditions are diet-driven and begin in childhood.
“School cafeterias are actually the largest restaurant chain in the entire country. If we can ensure that the foods being served there are healthier, we can protect against long-term chronic disease risk and start to bring those rates down,” McKenna said.
Illinois lawmakers are advancing a proposal to phase out certain foods like pre-packaged snacks and heavily processed lunch options. This would apply to food served in cafeterias, not what parents pack for their child's lunch.
“I think we have a responsibility to give our children a better start, especially when they don’t yet have the power to choose differently because they’re children,” said Rep. Sonya Harper.
Harper said the goal is not to add stress to schools, but to regulate what food manufacturers are sending through lunch lines.
“A lot of people bring up cost — 'how much will it cost schools to get different foods?' But I would ask, 'what is the cost to our public health?'" Harper said.
McKenna said the data emphasizes the urgency of the issue.
“We now have 40% of kids with at least one chronic disease, one in three kids overweight or obese and one in five pre-diabetics,” said McKenna.
If passed, the bill would not take effect immediately. State regulations would help schools gradually phase out processed foods by 2032.
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