Dear Board Member:

On behalf of the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), I am writing to express our concern with the proposed school policy on competitive foods and foods of minimal nutritional value that is being considered by the Tennessee State Board of Education.

The Grocery Manufacturers of America is the world’s largest association of food, beverage, and consumer product companies. With U.S. sales of more than $500 billion, GMA members employ more than 2.5 million workers in all 50 states, including 84 facilities with 22,000 employees in Tennessee. The organization applies legal, scientific, and political expertise from its member companies to vital food, nutrition, and public policy issues affecting the industry. Led by a board of 46 Chief Executive Officers, GMA speaks for food and consumer product manufacturers at the state, federal and international levels on legislative and regulatory issues.

GMA and its member companies share your concern about preventing childhood obesity and remain committed to improving student wellness and working alongside educators to encourage healthy eating habits by promoting a public school curriculum that includes physical, nutrition, and health education. We believe, as do many nutrition experts, that solving the obesity problem is about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and achieving the proper energy balance. The rise in obesity is the result of many complex factors affecting eating and activity habits, such as social and environmental factors, culture, and biology.

The food and beverage industry supports USDA recommendations that school systems should work to address the factors that influence both eating and physical activity as means of addressing childhood obesity. We also support school system initiatives to adopt robust school wellness policies that address health, nutrition and fitness education.

A “24-7 approach” to developing healthy lifestyles is a far more productive approach than overly restrictive food and beverage standards. Experts agree that a healthy lifestyle requires focusing on diet and physical activity. How much we eat in relation to how many calories we burn off each day is critical. The most important steps for parents and teachers is to encourage and educate children that to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to engage in at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity, eat a well-balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids.

Tennessee’s students are not receiving adequate or effective nutrition education or opportunities for meaningful physical activity. Currently, Tennessee’s Physical Education standards are based on the National Standards for Physical Education yet there is no statewide assessment. Physical Education is required at the elementary and middle school levels, yet with no time requirements, and is an elective at the high school level where available. GMA supports the development of coordinated, comprehensive nutrition education and physical education programs, particularly for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Rather than imposing narrow one-size-fits all statewide restrictions on the sale of competitive foods and beverages in schools, GMA supports school wellness policies that include competitive food and beverage offerings that provide an age-appropriate product mix that is also appropriate to the school level.

GMA urges the Board to look for broad and effective solutions to childhood obesity. A narrow ban on certain foods and beverages will only serve to limit choice, without addressing the root cause of the problem. Instead, we urge you to adopt a program that will provide the education necessary for our youth to make informed decisions, rather than limiting access to certain foods and beverages for a few hours each day.

GMA welcomes the opportunity to work with you to create this type of policy.

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