A child nutrition and physical activity bill (HB77) failed to pass out of committee in the Kentucky Senate. You can review the complete language of the proposed bill at the following link, www.lrc.state.ky.us/record/03rs/HB77.htm

The issues of this bill are really very simple, you are either for protecting the health of Kentucky School children by requiring proper nutrition, a physical activity program in public schools, certification and continuing education for food service personnel, and removal of junk food vending machines from public schools, or you feel that it is not necessary to make these changes.

A research report from the University of Kentucky, March 2002, "shows that 84 percent of food sold in school vending machines in Kentucky is "junk food". The percentage of overweight children in the United States has nearly doubled during the past two decades, "Data shows Kentucky children to be more overweight and obese than their national counterparts".

Kentucky ranks third in the nation for obese children. That's a startling number, considering 13 percent of children ages 6 to 11 nationwide and 14 percent of those ages 12 to 19 are overweight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the cost to treat obesity-related conditions in children ages 6 to 17 at $127 million a year, up from $35 million in 1979.

Even though a child nutrition and physical activity bill failed to pass the Kentucky Senate two years in a row, if you feel that a change should be made, please contact your State Representatives and ask them to support a Child Nutrition and Physical Activity Bill.