More than one-third of children in the District of Columbia live below the federal poverty line and about 40,000 students are eligible for free and reduced priced breakfast and lunches.  The number of students in the District of Columbia receiving benefits from federal child nutrition programs is significant.  Research has found that students who participate in food programs, especially the school breakfast program, have significantly greater increases in their test scores and significantly greater decreases in the rates of school absence, tardiness, and psychosocial problems than children who do not participate.  An important factor of concern is that children across the United States and the District of Columbia are becoming more overweight and obese.  In fact, the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey found that 13.5 percent of District of Columbia students are overweight, which is 1.4% higher than the national average.  This is cause for concern because overweight and obese students are at risk for serious health concerns including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and elevated cholesterol and blood pressure levels.  As worrisome is the research revealing that youth from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds, of lower socioeconomic status, and in higher grade levels are more likely to be overweight and to engage in less healthy behaviors.  These research findings have great implications for the District of Columbia.  As a city that has more overweight youth than the national average, and a city with large numbers of poor youth, it is imperative that the District of Columbia adopt food standards and other programs that address obesity and malnourishment issues among its children. 

The June policy forum examined school programs and discussed options for providing students with healthier eating options in school. 

Forum speakers addressed some of the following policy questions: 

• What school-based food programs exist nationally?
• What are other states doing to provide children with healthy meals?
• What are some best practices and innovations, nationally?
• What is the District of Columbia doing to provide healthy meals to students?
• Which District of Columbia policies exist to help curb childhood obesity?
• What innovative programs exist in the District of Columbia and across the country that are successfully promoting healthy eating?

• James D. Weill, President, Food Research and Action Center
• Victoria Wells, Grassroots Manager, DC Government Relations, South Atlantic Division,  American Cancer Society
• Robert Egger, President, DC Central Kitchen; Chair, Mayor’s Commission on Food and Nutrition
• Ruth Perot, Executive Director, Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc.
• Dianne Harris, Director of Health Services, Friendship Public Charter School

• Speaker Bios*  
• Ruth Perot's Presentation*      
• Annotated Bibliography*