globalbriefs Better


Cafeterias School Lunches Improving Nationwide


The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) 2012 School Lunch Report Card found that public school districts in Florida, Maryland, Tennessee and Nebras- ka rose above federal guidelines for serving healthy school lunches, with some in Georgia and Missouri also receiving good marks. But most schools nationwide can improve. PCRM dietitians analyzed elementary school meals at 22 districts participating in the National School Lunch Pro- gram. The average grade is now a B (84.4) compared with the national C+ average (78.7) in 2008. Schools delivering poor grades still offer chicken-fried steak fingers, breaded catfish, pork nuggets and other high-cholesterol menu items.


To read the complete report, visit HealthySchoolLunches.org.


Food Feelings Restaurant Ambiance Affects Diners’ Appetites


The mood in a restaurant can help diners enjoy their meals more and eat less, according to study results published in the journal Psychological Reports.


After transforming part of a fast food Hardee’s restaurant in Il- linois with milder music and lighting, researchers found that customers ate 18 percent fewer calories than diners in an unmodified seating area. Brian Wansink, Ph.D., a professor of marketing and consumer behavior at Cornell University, in New York, explains, “It didn’t change what people ordered, but what it did do was lead them to eat less and made them more satisfied and happier.” Wansink, author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More


Than We Think, asks, “If softer music and softer lighting seem to get people to eat less in a fast food situation, why not try the same thing at home?”


Superior Soil Organic Farming Sustains Earth’s Richness


Famed as the happiest country on Earth, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is now aiming to become 100 percent organic, phasing out artificial chemicals in farming in


the next 10 years. Agence France-Presse reports that Bhutan currently sends rare mushrooms to Japan, vegetables to up- market hotels in Thailand, its highly prized apples to India and red rice to the United States. Jurmi Dorji, of southern Bhutan’s 103-member Daga Shingdrey Pshogpa farmers’ association, says their members are in favor of the policy. “More than a decade ago, people realized that the chemicals were not good for farming,” he says. “I cannot say everyone has stopped using chemicals, but almost 90 percent have.” An international metastudy published in the Proceedings


of the National Academy of Science that analyzed 74 stud- ies on soils in fields under organic or conventional farming practices has found that over time, the carbon content in the organic fields significantly increased. For farmers ev- erywhere, that means organic agriculture results in a richer, more productive soil, with plenty of humus, which is condu- cive to higher yields. Peter Melchett, policy director at Britain’s Organic Soil


Association, says a primary benefit of a country becoming 100 percent organic is an assurance of quality to consumers that creates both an international reputation and associated market advantage.


School Safeguard How to Build a Bike Train


In 1969, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, 48 percent of kids ages 5 to 14 regularly walked or biked to school. In 2009, it was just 13 percent. One major reason for the change is that parents don’t feel safe letting kids bicycle around town on their own. Bike trains—in which an adult chaperone rides a predetermined route, adding children along the way—can make it easier and safer for kids to get to school.


To start a DIY bike train, find a group of interested parents through school and neighborhood message boards and newsletters; assess the area to create routes; distribute flyers and get feedback; determine bike train dates and times; host a community meeting; and post selected routes online.


Source: Yes magazine 12 NA Twin Cities Edition natwincities.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32