Release No. 0079.99 

Laura Trivers (202) 720-4623
laura.trivers@usda.gov

Phil Shanholtzer (703) 305-2286
phil.shanholtzer@fns.usda.gov

GLICKMAN HIGHLIGHTS LINK BETWEEN NUTRITION AND LEARNING,
MARKS NATIONAL SCHOOL BREAKFAST WEEK

WASHINGTON, Mar. 3, 1999--Marking National School Breakfast Week, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today emphasized "the increasingly clear link between nutrition and learning." 

"Our parents and teachers always told us that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and now research shows that they were right," Glickman said. "Eating breakfast before school has a profound impact on a child's ability to learn." 

Glickman said research confirms the connection between good nutrition, particularly a nutritious breakfast, and improved student academic performance and social behavior. Studies by the state of Minnesota and the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital found improved math grades, reduced hyperactivity, decreased absence and tardy rates, and improved behavior among students who regularly ate breakfast. 

According to Tufts University, low-income children who participated in USDA's School Breakfast Program were shown to have significantly higher standardized test scores than non-participants.  More than 7 million students get a healthy start to their school day through USDA's School Breakfast Program.

"Despite all the evidence, many students still come to school hungry, and many schools still do not participate in the School Breakfast Program," Glickman said. "National School Breakfast Week is an opportunity to highlight the importance of this program, and what it can do for every child's good health and development."

The Secretary said that USDA is planning further research on the impact of breakfast on learning. USDA has requested $13 million to fund a series of pilot projects that will provide free breakfasts to all students in a half-dozen school districts across the country.  Researchers will evaluate the impact of eating breakfast on academic performance, student behavior, and absence and tardiness.

Glickman also announced that USDA will hold a national symposium on breakfast and learning on April 22, 1999, in Washington. At the symposium, leading scientific experts will discuss the latest research on the link between breakfast and learning in children.

Also today, Shirley Watkins, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, joined students at Oak Grove Elementary School in Bloomington, Minnesota for breakfast, then spoke at a symposium on maximizing student achievement.

"Hungry children can't concentrate and they can't learn," said Watkins. "Breakfast is a simple way to give all children the nutritional boost they need to start the day ready to learn."

To celebrate National School Breakfast Week, national, state, and local leaders across the country will visit schools and eat breakfast with students. In some schools, professional chefs will conduct cooking and nutrition demonstrations. 

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