Here’s one way Sacramento schools could improve poor nutrition among the city’s children

Three months ago, 4-year-old Sammie was diagnosed with obesity. As a pediatrician, I discussed the usual strategies for helping children improve their weight with her mother. Sammie pledged to cut sugary drinks out of her diet, eat five fruits and vegetables a day, and exercise daily by riding on her scooter and jumping on a trampoline.

Unfortunately, when I saw Sammie for a recent follow-up visit, her weight had increased 5 pounds.

Sammie’s mother confided that she had been struggling to find ways to get her daughter to eat healthier while supporting two children on her salary. With school out for the summer, the two consistent nutritious meals Sammie got at school were no longer available, forcing the family to turn to fast food and microwave burritos. It dawned on me that until then, I’d failed to address the largest contributor to Sammie’s weight: food insecurity.

Research has long shown an association between childhood obesity and food insecurity. Families at risk of food insecurity lack access to nutritious and affordable foods; have fewer opportunities for physical activity; are exposed to more advertisements for obesity-promoting foods; and have limited access to health care.

Food insecurity is on the rise in California, with data showing that 20% of Californians don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Food banks report that they are serving close to three times more people now than they were pre-pandemic. Additionally, inflation has caused food prices to rise 10% over the last 12 months, the largest increase since 1981.

Providing universal school breakfast and lunch access, including during the summer months, is one way to address this. In June, President Joe Biden signed the Keep Kids Fed Act, a bipartisan bill that continues funding for school meal programs. California will become the first state to implement a statewide Universal Meals Program for schoolchildren, providing breakfast and lunch to all children beginning in the coming school year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also provides a website to help families find meals for kids during the summer. The CA Meals For Kids app offers the locations and hours of schools and other sites that provide meals to children during vacation and non-school days. And the Sacramento Public Library has committed to providing Lunch at the Library, with 13 locations participating around the county.

While these programs are a great start, more needs to be done to address food insecurity among Sacramento children during the summer. Schools that want to provide summer lunches must go through an extensive application process for funding. They also have to show that they’re in an area where at least 50% of children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Because of these requirements, many schools have deferred even applying.

After reviewing the existing programs and resources with Sammie and her mother, we determined that the closest participating summer program was 3 miles from their home. With no reliable transportation, her mother didn’t think it was feasible to get there each day. This is a reality for many families, one that could be addressed if all neighborhood schools were required to participate in the summer lunch program.

As a pediatrician, my ultimate goal is to help kids like Sammie grow up to be the healthiest versions of themselves. But this can’t be accomplished in the doctor’s office alone. We need universal access to nutritious meals for children year-round.

California is at the forefront of providing free, nutritious meals to all students who need them. Expanding this program to include summer meal options is the next logical and crucial step.

This story was originally published August 11, 2022 at 6:00 AM.