HEALTH WATCH : Hold the Fat

School lunches--typically a hamburger and fries or pizza--serve up too much fat: The federal regulations allowing such high fat content have been in effect since 1946, long before lean and nutritious dietary patterns were widely emphasized. Now new regulations proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would require healthier fare in school cafeterias.

The new rules would force schools to limit the fat content of meals to 30% of calories and saturated fat to 10% in an average week. Those reasonable requirements ought to help keep arteries unclogged.

Eating habits are established by age 12, according to the USDA report announcing the changes. School lunches contribute to adult dietary patterns. Bad habits learned early can lead to chronic illness and premature death.

The Clinton Administration’s 1995 budget request seeks $18.4 million for nutritional education and technical assistance. Washington will be requiring school dietitians to provide a computer analysis of lunchtime nutrition. The proposed regulations would require schools to serve more fresh vegetables and fruits, and that could prove expensive. The Administration should consider the extra costs under the new rules, which would go into effect in July of 1998. (The 1998 date is too far away; making this important dietary change in 1996 would be much better.)

The federal government spends $4.7 billion for lunches for 25 million youngsters in 92,000 schools every year. The proposed new lunch rules would make that federal spending an investment in healthier futures.