By Luna-Bella Galliano-Salinas, Reporter
According to the website Fortune, the Partnership for Healthier America (PHA) will continue its work making Americans healthier by promoting healthier lunches and being active, continuing the positive work that former First Lady Michelle Obama has initiated.
Although it will be hard to undo all that Obama has done to decrease youth obesity, some will try.
There are hopes to modify the school lunches in order to make the “school food more edible,” according to Republican Indiana Representative Todd Rokita. This could, in turn, revert school lunches back to a less healthy approach.
Vashon Schools believe strongly in serving healthy meals. Food Service Director Lisa Cyra has spearheaded improvements to the menus of all of the district schools’ lunches.
“I don’t think that these changes will affect us at all since we are already so ahead of the curve, but we will definitely start seeing change in other schools’ lunches,” Cyra said. “In fact, recently there was supposed to be an act of lowering sodium levels in school lunches.”
Lowering sodium levels was supposed to come into play in 2016-2017, but recently, it was pushed off to 2018. Although these acts are beginning to be temporarily halted, Cyra hopes they will continue to improve the healthiness of the food at public schools for children’s benefit.
There continues to be backlash as change continues to be pushed. The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, voted for a bill that, had it been passed, would have banned state labeling of GMOs, something that helps people choose what they eat.
Obama hopes to continue in her honorary chair position of “Let’s Move!” — a program that she started to help improve health by encouraging families to get up and exercise for a day. This helps families attempt to be more active, and live a healthier lifestyle.
Before Michelle Obama was the first lady, American obesity was a prevalent issue on the national agenda. Her “Let’s Move!” revolution — along with better eating habits nationwide — has played a key role in keeping American children healthy.
Recently, Michelle Obama reassured everyone that the path to continuous health will not end as long as we fight as a country to keep our children’s well-being a top priority.
She told the crowds in her final speech before leaving the White House that even though she will no longer be in the White House, she will still be eating right and encouraging others to do the same.