Abstract

As a society, we are quick to put up a strong fight for education reform, a topic taken very seriously.  School lunches, on the other hand, seem to be the brunt of many jokes.  This documentary's light-hearted, poking-fun take on a very serious issue is intended to reveal the consequences of our nation's blasé attitude regarding school lunches.  Despite the nutritional guidelines provided by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), our nation is failing to provide school lunches that prevent childhood obesity and other health problems; rather, school lunches often contribute to such issues.  Record levels of childhood obesity and increased incidents of infectious diseases as a result of poorly prepared meals are giving rise to the question: who is responsible for making sure children are making healthy, safe food choices during school hours?  In this regard, reports show that fast food chains impose more stringent standards for their meat compared with those set by the US Department of Agriculture for meat supplied to the NSLP.  Moreover, the USDA sets the standards for school lunches which lack a caloric maximum or a standard nutritional value.  This documentary focuses on the nutritional value of school lunches, its effect on children’s health and behavior, and the government laws and guidelines that contain gaps with regard to school nutrition.