U.S. ahead of Canada in feeding children a wholesome school lunch

[Estelle Menz]

Your country's health bill was the backdrop on my visit to Virginia, Vermont, & New York over the holiday season. There were many references to the British & Canadian health systems being models for the United States. At times one had the sense that Americans had an inferiority complex about their medical care & that Britain & Canada are a patient's paradise.
Four Canadian guests (two couples) helped keep comments in perspective by telling us that Canada was far behind the U.S. when it came to feeding its children at school.

Here is an article that explains , as we were told, the torn undergarment worn with Canada's health system tuxedo.
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/canada_needs_a_natio...

[Beatrice Yearwood]

"Torn undergarment worn with Canada's health system tuxedo"????? Quite a visual!
What explains this difference?
I expected Canadians would have good nutrition programs at least for children.
Does anyone out there have an explanation?

[Marisel Brown]

There has been centralization of feeding program policy & administration nearly exclusively at the federal level since these programs began. As I understand it, Canada's feeding programs are based at the provincial level. It is hard to get uniformity, harness the benefits (with the drawbacks) of interest groups/watchdog organizations, and the volume of purchasing power that comes with centralized governent with autonomous provinces.
In the US food policy for the needy began under Harry Truman in 1945-46? Over the years, the program also caught the attention of the agricultural sector--there were enourmous amounts of money being spent on feeding programs. Another boost came with the Johnson administration's Great Society programs.