Make food education a main priority in our nation's schools.
Why is this important?
Our youth are not getting the education they need to become healthy, self-sufficient adults.
The CDC estimates that 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will have diabetes at some point. Preventable diet-related diseases are the main cause of death in the U.S. and account for more than $150 billion in yearly health care costs.
Public education operates on the pretense of preparing students for jobs and the reality of preparing them for tests (which it does rather poorly). Education reform is overdue, and increasing healthy living skills should be a main priority of our nation's schools.
Every student should learn about nutrition, food sources and affordable healthy foods. Another component of food education is basic cooking skills; as Jamie Oliver has suggested, every young person should leave high school knowing how to cook 10 simple, inexpensive and healthy meals.
