It's almost time for kids to go back to school. But for many
children in Buffalo, this means a return to terribly unhealthy
school lunches – fried chicken, pizza pockets, corn dogs and
desserts loaded with high fructose corn syrup – that jeopardize
the health and well-being of America's next generation. This
needs to change. Many of Buffalo's public schools do not have
kitchens – only the ability to reheat frozen processed foods
high in sodium and fat. Buffalo's schools are beginning to see
the negative impact the food they serve is having on their
students. Unfortunately, Buffalo gets a bad grade for childhood
obesity and malnutrition. In New York State, 10 to 15 percent of
low-income children ages 2 to 4 are obese. In Buffalo the range
is higher, from 15 to 20 percent. It is unlikely that an
overweight child will slim down by the time he or she reaches
adulthood – eighty percent of children who are obese between the
ages of 10 and 15 remain obese at age 25. Children who eat
poorly are at greater risk of dev