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VIDEO:Students Jab at Govt. Calorie Limits in School Lunches





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(CBS News) Michelle Obama has supported a plan that would reduce calories in school lunches. New federal guidelines, in line with Michelle Obama's health advocacy, went into effect at schools across the country. Among other measures, the guidelines limit calorie counts in public school lunches. Now there are some students who are creatively criticizing the new lunch regulations in a protest video they made is going viral.

The protest video called "We are Hungry," borrows the hit song "We Are Young," but wrote their own lyrics to give voice their complaints. SEE THE VIDEO BELOW

The YouTube video was produced by high school students and teachers in Kansas. It shows volleyball players collapsing, students stuffing their lockers with junk food and others too tired to walk so they crawl home. (pictured R)

Their message: they're hungry.

Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R) said, "This is a great product of some small town students and their teachers."

Huelskamp is also concerned about new school lunch guidelines that limit calories in school meals; for kindergarten through 5th grade, the allotment is 650 calories, 6th to 8th grade is 700 calories and 9th to 12th is 850 calories.

Huelskamp said, "I think decisions about the lunchrooms should be made there, should be made with the parents and the school district, not some bureaucrat in Washington."

The new rules are the first major overhaul of school meals in 15 years, pushed by First Lady Michelle Obama. Schools also have to serve more fruits and vegetables, less processed food and less fat.

As she said a the kick-off of her "Let's Move" initiative, Michelle Obama's intention is to "dramatically improve the quality of the food we offer in schools."

Lise Gloede, a dietitian, said, "I don't think this can be a one-size-fits-all."

Gloede says there are a lot of good things about the guidelines, but the calorie caps may leave some students, particularly athletes, running on empty.

"They may be going to their after school sport activities hungry and that's a big problem," she said.

Protests aren't just coming from Kansas. In Wisconsin, students boycotted their school lunches. And Pennsylvania students used Twitter to encourage friends to brown-bag it.

The government argues there's no limit on second helpings of healthy fruits and vegetables and hungry students can often buy another meal or a la carte items.
 





Filed Under :  
Topics : Education
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Locations : KansasPennsylvaniaWashingtonWisconsin
People : Lise GloedeMichelle ObamaTom Bauerle
09/26/2012 11:56AM
VIDEO:Students Jab at Govt. Calorie Limits in School Lunches
Please enter your comments below.
09/26/2012 4:10PM
Pretty Lame. Because Obesity Is Our Right!
Maybe Million Dollar Mitt could loan money to all these starving high school kids? Oh, wait. That would be redistribution. My bad.
09/26/2012 7:45PM
Stretching
...and I'm not talking about people's belts. There are plenty of things to criticize government over. Government forcing kids to eat better isn't one of them.
09/26/2012 8:29PM
give me a break michelle obama kids are starving in new yorks lunch rooms
my daughter is in kindergarden she doesent know any better about calories but i do know she comes home from school and says the food is yukky most of the time its ridiculous as us citizens we have the right to pick the food we want for our children somthing needs to change
09/30/2012 6:39PM
Fools!
Its not the food! If these kid would go out and play, run around, and get some exercise there would be no problem. The government will not and can not fix this problem. The onus is on the parents to make their kids go out and play instead of sitting their fat asses on the couch and play games or text on the phone. This is clearly not a case of you are what you eat. I can't tell you the last time I saw kids having a pick up football game in the street or kick the can or dodge ball etc... Take away the computer and phone and make them get out and get exercise.
10/01/2012 5:18AM
SIMPLE SOLUTION
One does NOT have to go with 'school lunches" one can BROWN BAG IT. I did that when I was going to school, saved the money to buy other things I needed or wanted. I survived just fine on home lunches, RARELY did I par take of the school cusine of "mystery meat" and other unknown edibles.
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