April 29, 2020

How To Improve School Lunches, Grades, And Behavior At No Extra Cost | Jill Shah on The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman

Check out The Doctor’s Farmacy Podcast Page & Episode Notes

Key Takeaways

• Alarming statistics in the US:
  • 46 million people are on SNAP (food stamps)
  • 1 in 4 kids are on SNAP
  • 1 in 10 kids are on ADD medication
  • 1 in 5 kids are obese
  • 2 in 5 kids are overweight 
• “If a kid is overweight, he’s likely to live 13 years less than someone who’s not overweight. More likely to struggle in life,  earn less money, have a worse job, have more disability, more unhappiness, more suffering and this is a totally preventable thing.” – Mark Hyman
• One school removed sugar and refined foods and added healthier food options. 12 months later there was a 21% reduction in antisocial behavior, a 25% reduction in assaults, a 75% reduction in user restraints, and a 100% reduction in suicide! 
• A 2014 CDC report found a strong link between poor nutrition and poor academic performance (lower test scores, lower grades, lower cognitive function, less alertness, poor memory)
• “This is the first generation in history where life expectancy is going down and one in three kids born today will have diabetes in their lifetime” – Mark Hyman

Intro

• Jill Shah (@jillshah) is the President of the Shah Family Foundation and creator of My Way Cafe
  • Jill made a documentary about school lunches called Eat Up
• Host: Mark Hyman (@drmarkhyman)
  • Mark’s latest book: Food Fix

School Meals Are Vital For Kids

• 70% of kids who attend Boston public schools live at or below the poverty line
  • Some schools have turned school buses into delivery vehicles to deliver food to kids in need
    • Boston is currently giving 10,000-12,000 meals daily to kids. However, before COVID-19, the city was giving meals to 30,000 kids daily 
      • “School food is more critical than ever right now” – Jill Shah
• The US government spends $25 billion on school meals every year

Alarming Statistics About Americans

• 46 million people are on SNAP (food stamps)
• 1 in 4 kids are on SNAP
• 1 in 10 kids are on ADD medication
• 1 in 5 kids are obese
• 2 in 5 kids are overweight 
  • “If a kid is overweight, he’s likely to live 13 years less than someone who’s not overweight. More likely to struggle in life,  earn less money, have a worse job, have more disability, more unhappiness, more suffering and this is a totally preventable thing.” – Mark Hyman
• “This is the first generation in history where life expectancy is going down and one in three kids born today will have diabetes in their lifetime” – Mark Hyman

Making School Lunches Healthy 

• Most schools don’t have kitchens, they don’t have freezers and ovens
  • Jill was shocked to see how much processed food kids ate 
• After examining school budgets, Jill saw that prepackaged foods actually cost more than real, fresh food
  • “If you buy prepackaged stuff because it’s been processed, there’s so much more cost in it and then you’ve got margin on it as well” – Jill Shah
    • By serving students real food, you also employ three times as many people while still saving on the cost
      • As more schools adopt the real food model, the costs will drop further  since schools can buy food bulk at a lower price
• Jill’s organization has helped about 30 public schools a year shift to use fresh food to make meals 
  • The schools offer kids a buffet so they can eat what they want and less food is wasted

Availablity of Nutritious Food Has A Huge Impact

• One school removed sugar and refined foods and added healthier food options. 12 months later there was a 21% reduction in antisocial behavior, a 25% reduction in assaults, a 75% reduction in user restraints, and a 100% reduction in suicide! 
  • Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in children aged 10-19
• Kids who are well nourished perform better in schools 
  • Kids who aren’t well-nourished have more absentees, disruptive behaviors, and more inattentive in class
• A 2014 CDC report found a strong link between poor nutrition and poor academic performance (lower test scores, lower grades, lower cognitive function, less alertness, poor memory)
• By feeding kids healthy meals, Jill’s program has seen an increase in student participation by 20% while also decreasing food waste

Additional Notes

• If you want your children’s school to implement healthier lunches, talk to the school’s superintendent and the food service director of that school district