Junk Food Sold at School Called A National Security Threat

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by Mission: Readiness:

WHAT: Press Conference Focusing on Impact of Childhood Obesity on National Security
WHERE: National Press Club, Murrow Room, 529 14^th Street, NW, 13^th Floor, Washington, DC
WHEN: September 25, 2012, 12:00 PM        
WHO: Richard B. Myers, General, US Air Force (Retired), Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
James M. Loy, Admiral, US Coast Guard (Retired), Former Commandant of US Coast Guard & Former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
Norman R. Seip, Lieutenant General, US Air Force (Retired)
Amy Dawson Taggart, National Director, Mission: Readiness
Other Participants TBA

Background: Calling childhood obesity a threat to national security, retired US Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001 to 2005, will join other retired generals and admirals who are members of the national security organization Mission: Readiness in issuing a new report on improving the quality of food served in schools. The report will show that a shocking amount of junk food is sold in U.S. schools each year and the availability of so much junk food undermines efforts by parents and schools to teach children to eat healthier meals and snacks. 

Noting that many children get as much as half their daily calories at school, the report focuses on the need to remove junk foods sold at school and urges the federal government to update decades-old standards for foods sold in school vending machines, a la carte lines and snack bars. The report also strongly supports steps schools are already taking this year to improve meals served in cafeteria lines.

The new report, Still Too Fat to Fight, reinforces recent recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, which call for making the school environment a focal point for addressing our nation's obesity crisis.

Mission: Readiness leaders also will discuss alarming trends that affect our national security, including that 75 percent of 17- to 24-year olds in the U.S. cannot serve in the military. Being overweight is the number one medical reason why young adults cannot enlist with 1 in 4 too overweight to join the military.

To View The Live Webcast Of This Event, Visit www.missionreadiness.org

Contact: David Carrier
Phone: 202-464-5362, dcarrier@missionreadiness.org

SOURCE Mission: Readiness