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Walz's free school lunch program is popular and good governance [1]

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Date: 2024-08-26  

Universally free school lunch is a winner, politically and empirically . Future Vice President Walz's free school lunch program is politically popular and empirically a likely contributor to President Harris' goal of expanding the middle class and enabling more young people to pursue their career dreams. This program will more than pay for itself if we take some lessons from Japan. NPR's Yuki Noguchi went to Japan to find out why only 5 percent of Japanese are obese compared to the corresponding U.S. prevalence of 42%. The most common answer from Japanese interviewees was that they were taught how to eat healthfully in school. By law, all public elementary schools in Japan must provide a school lunch to every student. School lunch is part of the elementary school curriculum. Students are graded on how well they adhere to the traditional Japanese dietary pattern, which includes locally sourced fish, seaweed, tofu, and vegetable soup, foods that U.S. school children are rarely exposed to. The U.S. can nonetheless make culturally appropriate adaptations of the Japanese model and achieve better social and physical outcomes than Americans experience currently.

Obesity kills . Obesity contributes to the high rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancers of the digestive tract and depression. Japanese adults on average live 7 years longer than American adults and spend 57% less of their per capita GDP on healthcare costs. The difference in obesity prevalence rates is a big part of the reason why the Japanese derive more benefit from their healthcare dollars despite paying markedly less. Now that Americans are projected to spend upwards of $100 billion/year on Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda and other glucagon like peptide-1 agonist drugs for the treatment of obesity, Congress would do well to consider augmenting the $17.2 billion allocated to the U.S. National School Lunch Program in 2023.

Federal tax dollars spent on a universally free national school lunch program would yield many benefits.

Better grades . Providing all students with nutritious lunches ensures that they have the nutrients needed to do well academically. Better academic performance typically leads to higher graduation rates and better future earning potential, which reduces the need for remedial education and social services later. Well-fed students are more likely to engage positively in the classroom, reducing disruptions and creating a more conducive learning environment, thereby leading to better overall school performance.

Lower healthcare costs. Access to healthy school lunches can prevent obesity and related chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. This can lower healthcare costs in the long run, as healthier children grow into healthier adults with fewer medical needs.

Reduced administrative costs and stigmatization. By making school lunches free for all students, schools can eliminate the administrative burden of tracking and managing free or reduced-price lunch eligibility. This reduces paperwork and staff time, leading to cost savings. Universally free lunches also remove the stigma associated with receiving free or reduced-price meals. Many students currently eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program refuse to do so because doing so indicates to other students that their parents make less money than other parents.

Increased financial resilience and social harmony . By supporting the physical and cognitive development of children, universally free lunches contribute to a healthier, better-educated workforce. This can lead to increased productivity, higher earnings, and reduced reliance on social safety nets in adulthood. Providing free lunches to all students reduces financial strain on families, especially those who may struggle but do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals, such as families with undocumented parents. Reducing families' financial strain can improve overall economic stability and reduce the need for public assistance programs. Universally free lunches make for a more equal-opportunity society, reducing socioeconomic disparities that can contribute to bullying and social tensions within schools. A more harmonious school environment can support better educational outcomes and reduce the need for interventions. The long-term social benefits of reducing hunger and improving health and education outcomes can lead to stronger, more resilient communities.

A boost for national security . Finally, a universally free school lunch program would boost national security. This last reason is the reason why the National School Lunch Program was created in 1946. Retired generals demanded that the federal government do something to reduce the high number of potential recruits who were rejected from serving in the U.S. armed services during WWII because of complications attributable to malnutrition (e.g. scurvy, pellagra, kwashiorkor, rickets, anemia, diarrheal diseases, stunted growth, and delays in cognitive development).

To achieve President Harris' vision of an expanded middle class and more opportunities for young people to pursue their career dreams, an expansion of Vice President Walz's free school lunch program to include all U.S. elementary school children should be a high priority and will be well-received by voters.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/8/26/2265686/-Walz-s-free-school-lunch-program-is-popular-and-good-governance?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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