• Healthy food movement impacting more than waistlines at CMR

  Filed under News
  Jan 5

  Students, faculty, finances heavily affected by new food guidelines

  by Georgia-Mae Morrison

  In the Great Falls Public schools system, the war against child obesity and type-two diabetes is raging, but if the healthy movement is to be the winner it will not be without sacrifice. At the beginning of this year, students were shocked to find that their Pop Tarts, regular soda, and candy bars had been stripped from the schools. Some welcomed the healthy atmosphere, while others complained that it was their decision.  Eventually all of the buzz died down. But is it working, and how is it affecting the finances of the school? Are some students still angry, are they adapting to it, or are they just getting junk from other places?

  But let’s go back to the beginning. In 2005, Congress passed a law that required all schools to participate in the program in years following , and to try and monitor what the students are eating. Mikie Messman, the CARE Program coordinator, was a major part in bringing these requirements to the Great Falls Public Schools.

  “We decided it was the right thing to do because of such huge problems like type-2 diabetes and child obesity. It isn’t moral to teach nutrition in the schools when we were supplying heaps of junk,” Messman said.

  It has been a few months now since the program was put in place, and Messman believes it is having an effect.

  “My office is at an elementary school, and elementary schools are doing great. I want kids to eat healthy, but if they’re not we don’t want the schools to be contributing. I realize high school students are more mobile and they can leave and go get junk if they want it. And I also know that school stores like the DECA store have taken a hit,” Messman said.

  Messman is correct.  The CMR DECA store has been drastically affected by the healthy food movement. Linda Sullivan, the DECA store manager, is working to find foods that meet the requirements and are as popular as the old foods students would eat. She hasn’t noticed any huge healthy change, only the drop in sales.

  “Kids are bringing in their own things. People are selling things out of their lockers and such, but we’re trying to figure out what foods the kids are still buying and get rid of the slow movers in the store,” Sullivan said.

  Business teacher Dave Stukey is the head of the DECA club, and he agrees with Sullivan. Although profits weren’t hit as bad as he had expected, they were still down a third within the first couple of months. The DECA store brings in a lot of money for the school. It donates money to different clubs and organizations at CMR that might be struggling. It also pays for some fun things, such as the big screen TV in the commons area.

  The students are the main population that has been affected by this movement, and Stukey noticed a mixed response from them. Some do appreciate the healthy option, but others do not agree.

  “You’re taking away choices, and therefore not allowing responsibility, and I don’t think it will necessarily change future habits,” Stukey said.

  Agree or disagree, this program is moving forward in full swing. A $150,000 grant ($50,000 a year for three years) was applied for and granted to CMR from the Blue Cross Blue Shield for Healthy Montanans. Mikie Messman, with help from the Student Wellness Committee, applied for the grant to support our wellness movement. Most of the grant money will be used to hire a Student Wellness coordinator.

  “They’ll do a lot of things the CARE office is doing, but it’s not our primary job. We’re having to squeeze this in among other things so we think it’s important to have someone to devote their full attention.”

  This program will most likely stick around for a while. And the wellness committee will keep working to make, “The healthy choice the easy choice.”

  Tagged as: georgia-mae morrison, healthy food movement, News
  
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