It is not just new US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who promises to make the country healthy again.
The Texas Legislature is launching a companion to Kennedy’s agenda, calling for more physical education in public schools, less junk food in federal food stamp programs administered by the state, and more nutrition education for aspiring medical students.
“We have to do this for our children,” said State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, a Republican from Brenham and one of the effort’s leaders.
She cited federal data showing that one in every five children is obese, and nearly three-quarters of American adults are overweight or obese.
Their plan is spread across several bills:
- SB 25: Increases the number of hours public school kids spend in physical education and mandates nutritional education for medical providers.
- SB 314 and HB 1290: Bans federally approved food additives like brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate and red dye 3 in meals provided through school lunch and breakfast programs.
- SB 379 and HB 3188: Bans families in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, from using food stamp benefits on sodas, chips, energy drinks or cookies.
“We want to make sure that we are providing that healthy and nutritious food for Texans in need,” said State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, regarding SB 379.
On the federal level, Kennedy this week was pushing his agenda among fast food companies, urging them to stop using seed oils in their products.
Seed oils—such as peanut, corn, canola, and soybean—are extracted from plant seeds, as the name implies. These oils, which are high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, are commonly used in cooking and frying foods.
Steak ‘n Shake announced on Monday that the chain’s Ohio, Colorado, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma locations had switched from seed oils to 100% beef tallow fries, which delighted Kennedy.
