Competency+6

=**Integrate knowledge in nutrition, public health, and other disciplines for the identification and evaluation of nutritional problems and the development and implementation of guidelines and policies (CEPH).**=

**Letter to House of Representative Ellsworth Urging Passage of Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act **


November 21, 2010 Congressman Brad Ellsworth Evansville District Office 101 NM Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 124 Evansville, IN 47787

Dear Congressman Brad Ellsworth:

I am writing to ask for your help with passing the bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which reauthorizes and modernizes the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. It passed the Senate unanimously in September and is now before the House of Representatives. This bill will get junk food out of our schools once and for all, provide resources to train cafeteria workers to create healthy and tasty menus, and expand the after-school supper program.

Congress has a lot on its plate this legislative session, but millions of American children may have empty plates. Renewal of child nutrition programs has been delayed for a year. Our children cannot wait any longer; 31 million American children depend on healthy school breakfasts and lunches so they can learn and thrive. A robust and adequately funded child nutrition act is critical to promote our children’s current and future health and their ability to succeed at school.

Children eat more than half their weekday daily calories at school, but school meals aren’t healthy enough. Nutrition standards are so lax that junk food frequently dominates cafeterias, school stores and vending machines. Federal reimbursement rates are so low that school meal programs are forced to rely on cheap, unhealthy food loaded with saturated fat, salt and sugar.

Poor nutrition is linked to obesity, poor school performance, serious medical and psychosocial consequences and impaired economic and educational success. Currently more than one-third (greater than 12.5 million) American children are obese or overweight. They are at great risk for significant chronic diseases, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, abnormal lipids, and heart disease. Four out of five obese teens will become obese adults, The childhood obesity epidemic is the greatest long-term public health threat facing our nation.

Moreover, many American families are struggling to make ends meet in our challenged economy. Food insecurity is increasing. One in four children is at risk for hunger. More families are depending on school meals and other child nutrition programs to help feed their families. Hunger and childhood obesity are clearly connected; when families can’t afford the healthy foods, they rely instead on the cheapest calories available: fast food, junk food, empty calories, and poor nutrition. This can have a devastating effect on growing children. Adequate nutrition for our children is a fundamental right and cannot be compromised without dire consequences.

I am writing this not only as a constituent, but as a bariatric physician. I witness the consequences of poor nutrition every day in my practice. Early prevention and intervention is the only way to effectively combat the obesity epidemic.

Please reach out to the House leadership. Urge them to do whatever is necessary to support this child nutrition bill and funding, so that it moves to the floor for a vote. We need passage of HR 5504, Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act, this year. If that fails to happen, we will jeopardize our children’s health, their success in school, and their future. Significant pediatric health improvements and advancements will be compromised. Please don’t leave 31 million children hungry!

Sincerely,

Joan Temmerman, MD; Evansville, IN 47713<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

1. How does this piece/sample relate to the competency?
 * Inadequate nutrition is strongly linked to obesity and poor health, and poverty and food insecurity perpetuate the deleterious cycle. This letter discusses a crucial bill that would improve school nutrition in a variety of ways, including providing healthier meals through increased funding and eliminating unhealthy food both within the cafeteria and outside it.

2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this piece/sample?
 * I feel that I wrote an effective letter, and I was able to use my background and expertise to strengthen it.
 * Weakness: initially I didn't include personal information about me. Adding this, on the advice of my professor, increases its credibility.

3. What did I learn from reviewing and reflecting on this piece/sample?
 * Changing policy requires involvement. Our representatives are responsible for being aware of and sensitive to constituents' opinions and concerns. Everyone has a voice, and it is important for them to use it. It was exciting to learn that this bill was finally passed. I truly believe that the numerous single voices and letters played an instrumental role in the successful passage.

4. What do I need to work on in the future to more fully meet this competency?
 * I care deeply about poverty, food insecurity, health disparities, pediatric obesity, disease prevention, and community wellness. These are huge issues and improvement will require tremendous work. I need to become more involved in policy-making and much more active in communicating with my elected representatives. I also strive to become a key player in the community. Many single voices become quite powerful collectively.