School lunch and the "trilemma"

It's not something you would normally expect from a "just the facts" economic paper. But this ERS study on the national school lunch program lets loose with a little freestyle in the form of "trilemma." From the report:


Most issues related to the NSLP touch upon, in one way or another, two, if not all three, components of a school meal “trilemma” involving the meal’s nutrition, program cost, and student participation in the program. This trilemma applies to competitive foods as well because revenues from these foods can be important to the budgets of both the cafeteria and the school as a whole. A change to one component of the trilemma can have unintentional effects on either or both of the other components.

TK: Let's hope the "trilemma" and the aura of "competitive foods" doesn't prevent school districts from doing the right thing and implementing menus that follow dietary guidance for Americans.

Sunday headline roundup

Find my full complement of Aug. 3 headlines at the bottom of the blog. A couple of note:

Whole Foods tries for fresh image A NYT piece on the struggles of repositioning "Whole Paycheck." From the story:

Whole Foods Market is on a mission to revise its gold-plated image as consumers pull back on discretionary spending in a troubled economy. The company was once a Wall Street darling, but its sales growth was cooling even before the economy turned. Since peaking at the beginning of 2006, its stock has dropped more than 70 percent.
Now, in a sign of the times, the company is offering deeper discounts, adding lower-priced store brands and emphasizing value in its advertising. It is even inviting customers to show up for budget-focused store tours like those led by Mr. Hebb, a Whole Foods employee.



Study predicts obesity doomsday by 2030 Statistically speaking, there is every reason to believe that everyone in the U.S. will be overweight or obese in 40 years. It could be crisis-mongering, but it is also true. From the story:

The study, released this week in the journal Obesity, suggests that by the year 2030, nearly every American will be overweight or obese.
Currently, figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the prevalence of obesity in adults at about 66 percent. But lead study author Dr. Youfa Wang of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore says that if current overweight and obesity trends continue, 86 percent of Americans could be overweight or obese by the year 2030.

Later.....

Dr. Jana Klauer, a New York City-based physician and author of "How the Rich Get Thin," agrees.
"As a nation we have become too fat," she says. "The reasons are complex but can easily be summarized by: too much food and too little exercise. Highly palatable, cheap foods are abundant. ... The focus on exercise is absent in most Americans' lives. Yes, I think the predictions will come to pass."