Ads target Obama daughters, campaign for veggie, vegan school lunches

[Guest guest]

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is using an ad that targets

President Barack Obama's two daughters to get its point across about food served

at U.S. schools.

 

 

 

 

Posters went up Aug. 3 in the Union Station Metro stop in Washington, D.C., and

will remain there through August for congressional staffers who travel the area

to take notice of, according to a news release from the Washington, D.C.-based

nonprofit organization.

 

The ads feature an 8-year-old Florida native asking the question, through a

thought bubble above her head, " President Obama's daughters get healthy school

lunches. Why don't I? "

 

Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia, go to school at Sidwell Friends School, a

private school in the D.C. area that offers more vegetarian and vegan items than

public schools, according to media reports.

 

In Congress' upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, the group

wants more fruits, vegetables and low-fat vegetarian lunch options to be

mandatory on school menus.

 

" Congress needs to help all schools, no matter how disadvantaged, to provide

vegetables, fruits and healthy nondairy vegetarian choices, and should provide

the funding to make that feasible, " said Neal Barnard, president of the

committee, in a news release.

 

The American Public Health Association and the American Medical Association both

passed resolutions supporting vegetarian options on school lunch menus,

according to the release.

 

The ads' model, Jasmine Messiah, also plans to send a letter to her senators and

representative about the issue, and ask them for healthier foods in schools.

 

The committee is also compiling signatures on a petition to get more vegetarian

and vegan meals on menus.

 

The Child Nutrition Act regulates the National School Lunch Program, as well as

other federal nutrition programs. Other issues brought to the table for this

reau-thorization include whether the National School Lunch and National School

Break-fast programs should also regulate food in vending machines, ala carte

lines and school stores.