WHAT!? School diets can help test scores! Where have I been!?

You mean to tell me that for 30 years there has been scientific information that what happens at the lunch table can dramatically effect what happens on test day!? I have to admit that this information has been at my disposal for a very long time but apparently I just wasn't looking.

I recently received my Dec 2008/Jan. 2009 issue of "Pure Facts", a publication distributed to members of the Feingold Assoc. of the United States(FAUS), of which we are members. FAUS believes that the elimination of these additives: Artificial (synthetic) coloring,
Artificial (synthetic) flavoring, Aspartame (Nutrasweet, an artificial sweetener), Artificial (synthetic) preservatives BHA, BHT, TBHQ along with the initial elimination of some naturally occuring asprin chemical (salicylate) can reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of many many disorders. FAUS asserts that eliminating these products from your diet can improve problems with hyperactivity, attention span, sleep, impulsivity, depression, moodiness and these are just a few. As I was reading through the articles I came across an interesting comment about how New York City schools were seeing an increase in test scores by making simple changes to their school lunches. I was intrigued.

As I started hunting around for more information on this topic I discovered no really recent information but did come across a study done in the late 1970s and early 1980s in 803 New York City schools. The study required that school serve a diet lower in sucrose,that omits synthetic food color/flavors, and two preservatives (BHA and BHT) over a 4 year year period. The results were staggering. The average national performance rankings of the 803 public schools stood at 39.2% in the spring of 1979. After adhering to these dietary changes for 4 years the performance ranking increased to 54.9%! A change of 15.7% simply by ommiting many things that are bad for your body anyway! In case you are a skeptic like me you might say "Yeah, but what else changed in those 4 years that could contribute to that?". Well, first I want to point out that the schools were studied for 3 years before any dietary changes were made and showed no more than a 1.7% increase in performance rank. Secondly, I would add that the results note that the amount of fat was reduced in school lunch during this time as well and the conclusion is that a decrease in malnutrition is the most likely cause of improved performance.

Why have we not heard of these studies before? Why is no one demanding that more be done to remove harmful substances from our kids' diets?! I am in love with this study and the other one I read about in Appleton, WI that made similar changes with similar results. I am armed with my information and am considering approaching our school nurse with it on Monday. Anybody else coming with me?

Karen

ps- a quote from Ralph Nader on the Phil Donahue show, December 4, 1987 concerning the cleaning up of the food supply, "Attack silent violence the way we go after street violence!"

I knew there was a reason I kind of liked this guy.