• Heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the U.S. The major risk factors for these diseases are often established in childhood.
   
• One quarter of children ages 5 to 10 years show early warning signs for heart disease.
   
• Type 2 diabetes can no longer be called "adult onset" because of rising rates in children.
   
• Obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last two decades. One in seven young people are obese, and one in three are overweight.
   
• From 1979 to 1999, annual hospital costs for treating obesity-related illnesses in children rose threefold (from $35 million to $127 million).

(reprinted from CSPI's School Foods Toolkit)

But don't just think of statistics. Think of the child you know who represents those numbers. Children's health is a public health issue and we need to act now.

Better school food must be provided to every school-age child. Whole foods and fresh fruits and vegetables are necessary to build and sustain healthy bodies and brains, which support strong physical and mental health. Unhealthy ingredients must be permanently removed from our schools and the daily diets of our children in order to reverse the damage already done. The resources spent treating chronic diseases strain on our health care system. We can pay now, or pay later. Join us, and you'll be joining a movement to improve the lives of young people nationwide.