Illinois education board goes crazy ...

[Baron Kurtz]

Anyone else think this is a lunatic policy promulgated by people who may very well be lunatics? How on earth can cheeto's have more nutritional content than milk? How about reintroducing physical education?

School Officials Propose Ban of Whole Milk

CHICAGO - Cartons of whole milk would be considered junk food, but baked Cheetos would not, under new rules proposed Friday by Illinois education officials.

The State Board of Education proposed the rules after Gov. Rod Blagojevich asked for a junk food ban in elementary and middle schools.

The new rules focuson the nutritional content of foods rather than broad categories of food.

Because of that, the proposed guidelines would allow 1 ounce bags of baked potato chips, even though all chips are now banned under the board's current definition of junk food. Whole milk would also be banned because of its high fat content, school officials said.

Some of the recommended cut-off points: calories from fat exceeding 35 percent (except nuts and seeds), calories from saturated fat exceeding 10 percent, and total calories exceeding 200 for an individual package.

"I think it's more practical," said the board's general counsel, Jonathan Furr. "We're focusing on nutrition, which is the objective to focus on a healthier environment."

 

[Andykev]

Most School Officials are "UTOPIANS"

They live in a dream world! Maybe they should sometimes converse with other adults and not just kindergardeners! How about this?:

Student suspended for speaking spanish?!?!?!?!?

Posted on Sat, Dec. 10, 2005

KANSAS

Lapse into Spanish earns suspension, then apology

A teenager was suspended from school for a few words of Spanish conversation. Now the school superintendent has apologized.

BY T.R. REID

Washington Post Service

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Most of the time, 16-year-old Zach Rubio converses in clear, unaccented American teen-speak, a form of English in which the three most common words are ''like,'' ''whatever'' and ''totally.'' But Zach is also fluent in his dad's native language, Spanish -- and that's what got him suspended from school.

''It was, like, totally not in the classroom,'' the high school junior said, recalling the infraction. ``We were in the, like, hall or whatever, on restroom break. This kid I know, he's like, `?ǬøMe prestas un d?ɬ?lar?' [`Will you lend me a dollar?']. Well, he asked in Spanish; it just seemed natural to answer that way. So I'm like, `No problema.' ''

But that conversation turned out to be a big problem at the Endeavor Alternative School, a small public high school in an ethnically mixed blue-collar neighborhood. A teacher who overheard the two boys sent Zach to the office, where Principal Jennifer Watts ordered him to call his father and leave the school.

Watts, whom students describe as a disciplinarian, said she can't discuss the case. But in a written ''discipline referral'' explaining her decision to suspend Zach for 1 ?Ǭ? days, she noted: ``This is not the first time we have [asked] Zach and others to not speak Spanish at school.''

Since then, the suspension of Zach Rubio has become a local cause celebre, the talk of the town in both English and Spanish newspapers and radio shows. The school district has officially rescinded his punishment and said that speaking a foreign language is not grounds for suspension. And the Associated Press reports the district has said that Superintendent of Schools Bobby Allen apologized to the student.

Meanwhile, the Rubio family has retained a lawyer, who says a civil rights lawsuit may be in the offing.

The tension here surrounding that brief exchange in a high school hallway reflects a broader national debate over the language Americans should speak amid a wave of Hispanic immigration.

The National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group, says that 20 percent of the U.S. school-age population is Hispanic. For half of those Hispanic students, the native language is Spanish.

That language use in schools elsewhere is such an issue may surprise many in South Florida, where school hallways and classrooms echo with other languages, especially Spanish and Creole.

''The richness of Miami is in part a richness of language,'' said Joseph Garcia, spokesman for the Miami-Dade school district. ``Not only do our policies not prohibit speaking languages other than English, we think that in the world in which they'll live every student ought to speak at least two languages.''

Such a suspension couldn't happen in Broward County, school district spokesman Keith Bromery said: ``We don't have any rule like that that would prohibit a child from speaking any language on school grounds.''

VARIETY OF CONFLICTS

Howver, conflicts are breaking out nationwide over bilingual education, ''English-only'' laws, Spanish-language publications and advertising, and other linguistic collisions. Language concerns have been a key aspect of the growing political movement to reduce immigration.

Some advocates of an English-only policy in schools say that it is particularly important for students from immigrant families to use the country's dominant language.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made that point this summer when he vetoed a bill authorizing various academic subjects to be tested in Spanish in the state's public schools. ''As an immigrant,'' the Austrian-born governor said, ``I know the importance of mastering English as quickly and as comprehensively as possible.''

Hispanic groups generally agree with that, but they emphasize the value of a multilingual citizenry. ''A fully bilingual young man like Zach Rubio should be considered an asset to the community,'' said Janet Murguia, national president of La Raza.

The influx of immigrants has reached every corner of the country -- even here in Kansas City, where there are older neighborhoods where almost every shop and restaurant has signs written in Spanish.

CITIZEN'S LESSON

Zach's father, Lorenzo Rubio, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, and a U.S. citizen, credits U.S. immigration law for his decision to fight his son's suspension.

''You can't just walk in and become a citizen,'' he said. ``They make you take this government test. I studied for that test, and I learned that in America, they can't punish you unless you violate a written policy.''

Since his suspension was rescinded, the issue of speaking Spanish in the hall has not been raised at the school, Zach said. 'I know it would be, like, disruptive if I answered in Spanish in the classroom. I totally don't do that. But outside of class now, the teachers are like, `Whatever.' ''

Herald staff writers Matthew I. Pinzur and Hannah Sampson contributed to this report.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

You're right, both of you: they're nuts. Both cases make no sense at all.

 

[Section10]

Milk? Well, I've owned my own cows, but I'll have to admit I never touch the stuff, myself. When I grew up, I quit using it and I've never looked back. Milk is fine if you're a calf. Of course that's not what the dairy industry would like us to believe. There are other schools of thought out there. 'Course I don't think too much of Cheetos either.

 

[Lena_Horne]

I guess I understand where the milk problem comes in as a half glass of whole milk has the equivalent of fat found in twelve strips of bacon. But I don't think it should be banned, that's ridiculous. Kids aren't getting enough calcium as it is. They should be promoting orange juice and milk (in all it's forms), healthful foods like fruit and raw vegetables. Soups and sandwiches at lunch not pizza and french fries. Not all fat is bad fat, fat is necessary to perform basic functions, and also serves as a protective warming barrier under the skin. It just depends on what kind of fat and where it settles. Less trans and saturated fat. Milk should be perfectly fine, it becomes a problem when you pour an entire bowl of sugar frosted cereal into it, or down it with a bag of chips.

L_H

 

[jake431]

I guess I understand where the milk problem comes in as a half glass of whole milk has the equivalent of fat found in twelve strips of bacon. But I don't think it should be banned, that's ridiculous. Kids aren't getting enough calcium as it is. They should be promoting orange juice and milk (in all it's forms), healthful foods like fruit and raw vegetables. Soups and sandwiches at lunch not pizza and french fries. Not all fat is bad fat, fat is necessary to perform basic functions, and also serves as a protective warming barrier under the skin. It just depends on what kind of fat and where it settles. Less trans and saturated fat. Milk should be perfectly fine, it becomes a problem when you pour an entire bowl of sugar frosted cereal into it, or down it with a bag of chips.

L_H

I had no idea a half a glass of whole milk had the equivalent amount of fat as 12 strips of bacon (I drink skim milk) - that's insane! Give me the bacon anyday! Although, it doesn't go so good with apple pie...

So I guess, if you are going by nutritional content, that ruling about whole milk makes sense, but at first glance it does seem counter-intuitive.

-Jake

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I guess i started the thread because this is one of my pet peeves. We need fat in our diet. Just like we need carbs, protein, fibre etc. etc. I have a really hard time believing that the reason kids are more prone to obesity these days than they were in the past is because they are getting milk every morning. I don't know about you, but i got free milk at school in the morning all the way through preschool and primary school.

What has changed? Milk in school? Or cheetos in school? I just think the school board logicians have gone awry and askew at the same time, if that's even possible (assuming that a school board employs logic).

Bring back physical education - i had PE every morning for 1.5 hours. Nothing better for working off all that milk than running around after a ball.

bk

p.s. And don't let them kid you - there's no such thing as good and bad fat. It's all good ... in moderation, of course. What's not good ... ever ... is the high fructose corn syrup that goes into everything in this country. That stuff just goes straight into the fat reserves. Ever wonder why coca cola tastes better in Mexico and Canada? Yep, they use sucrose and glucose instead of fructose.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

The calories in a glass of milk could in no way equal those in 12 strips of bacon...

 

[jake431]

Found this on the web(keepkidshealthy.com):

Q: Why choose 1 or 2 percent milk when whole milk is only 3.7 percent fat? Isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t that too small a difference to worry about?

A: Those numbers can be deceiving. The percentage-of-fat figures refer to how much of the weight of the milk comes from fat.

To see the impact of your milk choice from another perspective, look at the difference in calorie content and the actual amount of fat in each type of milk. The recommended choices for most adults, nonfat (skim) and 1 percent (low-fat) milk, contain 86 to 105 calories in each eight-ounce glass, and 0.4 to 2.4 grams of fat.

Two-percent milk, which contains about 120 to 125 calories and 4.7 grams of fat in the same portion, is appropriate for people with higher calorie needs and who don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t eat a lot of high-fat foods (especially children).

Whole milk is appropriate for toddlers and for people who are having trouble getting all the fat and calories they need. But at 155 to 160 calories and almost 9 grams of fat per glass, it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s not the best choice for most adults, especially those who consume more fat and calories than they need.

Keep in mind that the more milk someone drinks, the more significant that difference becomes. Also, more than half of that fat is saturated, a concern for heart disease and cancer risk. For many people, three eight-ounce glasses of whole milk provide more than the recommended limit of saturated fat for a whole day ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú and that?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s without counting the meat or other sources of saturated fat that may also be consumed.

By Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN
American Institute for Cancer Research
Reproduced with Permission

 

[Jessica]

Everything in moderation...

 

[John in Covina]

I had no idea a half a glass of whole milk had the equivalent amount of fat as 12 strips of bacon (I drink skim milk) - that's insane! Give me the bacon anyday! Although, it doesn't go so good with apple pie...
-Jake

*****
MMMMMM... bacon and hot apple pie, wow what a combo! Anyone ever had sharp cheddar dheese on top of hot apple pie? I believe it is a favorite in parts of New England. I like it.

De gustibus non est desputandum.

 

[The Wingnut]

I'm 5'7" and weigh 127 lbs soaking wet.

I drink whole milk, have my entire life, can't stand anything 'less'. I don't gain weight because I EXCERCISE it off! The problem isn't caloric intake, it's the sedentary lifestyle that so many think they're entitled to.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I'm 5'7" and weigh 127 lbs soaking wet.

I drink whole milk, have my entire life, can't stand anything 'less'. I don't gain weight because I EXCERCISE it off! The problem isn't caloric intake, it's the sedentary lifestyle that so many think they're entitled to.

Testify!!!! :hamburgerizza:

bk:coffee: :beer: :cheers1: :cool2: :fedora:

 

[shamus]

I think that it isn't a crazy idea. They're not banning milk to children. They're banning whole milk to children.

If the parents want to give their children whole milk at home than they have it.

The school is actually trying to do something to help kids. Be-it a small thing, but it might help a few kids.

Milk to me is a source of calcium and vitiam A and D, not a fat source.

So drink your 12 stripes of bacon grease and wash it down with a nice cold glass of 2 or 1 or non fat milk!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The school is actually trying to do something to help kids. Be-it a small thing, but it might help a few kids.

I like to theorise conspiratorially. I see something more sinister in this. Namely: the takeover by the fast industry of our (well, American, though the same thing is happening in the UK) school industry. If the school was really worried about doing something good for the kids they'd ban all foods that might disproportionately enhance the rise of obesity - i agree that whole milk in a sedentary individual is one such food. It just seems crazy to me that milk should be banned, but cheeto's would be allowed. It's like banning Hershey's plain chocolate, but allowing Cadbury's fruit and nut chocolate because the latter has very slightly more nutritional value.

I said it before, i'll keep saying it 'til the day i die: Physical Education must be returned to the curriculum. Not after school stuff. During school PE. I got a comprehensive education which served me well for my entry into the real world. It included at least one hour of exercise (usually 2) every day during school time right through primary and secondary school (state school). Now at my old schools they get 1 hour of PE once a week. Funnily enough obesity rates are going up.

bk

 

[FedoraGirl]

don't believe everything you read!

I guess I understand where the milk problem comes in as a half glass of whole milk has the equivalent of fat found in twelve strips of bacon.
L_H

this is totally inaccurate!

a quick internet search revealed (http://www.nutritiondata.com)

one slice of cooked bacon (8g) has
41 calories
3g total fat (5% daily value)
1g saturated (5% daily value)

one cup (8oz, 244g) whole milk has
146 calories
8g total fat (12% daily value)
5g saturated (23% daily value)


so,
12 slices of cooked bacon has while 1/2 glass (4oz) whole milk has
492 calories 73 calories
36 total fat (60% daily value) 4 total fat (6% daily value)
12g saturated (60% daily value) 2.5g saturated (12% daily value)


i had a baby two years ago. during baby and preganancy classes you learn a lot of info on healthy diet choices: only whole milk, not even 2%, is to be given to children until age 1; they need the fat. but, whole milk isn't the best beverage choice for children (not infants and toddlers) and adults. water is the best choice, but soy, skim, 1%, and even 2% milks are better choices than whole milk.

my stand is that if schools are truely going to "help" the kids, they need to offer a variety of healthy foods and drinks. PE should be mandatory, as well as nutrition classes.

 

[shamus]

there is an interesting documentary out there called "Super Size Me"

on the special features is a great mini doc on kids and school and P.E. and kids lunches.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

there is an interesting documentary out there called "Super Size Me"

on the special features is a great mini doc on kids and school and P.E. and kids lunches.

I've been meaning to see that for a while. A journalist in Britain (for the guardian, i think) attempted to copy what the guy did. He made it 5 days before he started getting in serious medical difficulties.

bk