Center Moriches Taxpayers Community Discussion Forum

Trans fats would be banned in public schools that receive federal funding under legislation proposed Tuesday by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, part of a multipronged effort to combat childhood obesity.

"Trans fats have no nutritional value and are not needed in any way by the human body," said Gillibrand, the first New York senator to serve on the Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years.

She cited rising obesity rates and research stating that children as young as 8 years old are suffering from high cholesterol. She also cited statistics showing that nearly 60 percent of all New Yorkers are overweight or obese, including 54 percent on Long Island.

Gillibrand said she is working on legislation to enable the USDA to eliminate junk food and snacks in school vending machines. And she is introducing legislation to create more exercise for children and improve health care for overweight children. One facet would provide $60 million in grants to help organizations develop exercise programs to "get kids outside, exercising and really get them away from the computer and . . . away from television," she said.

Under Gillibrand's proposal, schools would have a five-year window to ban trans fats. Some districts could receive waivers, she said, adding she is pushing to increase federal reimbursements for school food programs. Trans fats are banned in New York City schools.

"There is already a movement to make these changes and we need to capitalize on this momentum," she said.

There is no Islandwide ban on trans fats and the vast majority of Long Island schools serve foods containing trans fats, according to a recent Newsday series on school foods.

However, the William Floyd School District is launching a Going Healthy school lunch program this fall that bans all trans fats and any foods containing artificial sweeteners, colors or flavorings, said Anne Marie Caliendo, the assistant superintendent for business.

Among the changes, the district will offer daily a minimum of two varieties of fresh fruit and only serve fat-free or 1 percent regular or flavored milk. Food items will have limited amounts of fat, sodium and sugar. The district has about 10,000 students.

"For many of our children [this is] the only balanced meal they get," Caliendo said. "A kid who is eating well is going to be more focused and do better in school and won't have health issues later in life."