LIVE: Taking Kids’ Health to Heart in ND

FARGO — The American Heart Association is asking state lawmakers this session to put some big changes in place for schools and students.

At the top of their wish list for 2025 is making healthy school lunches available to all students, free of charge.

The session’s already seen lawmakers introduce two bills that would provide free universal school lunches, and the AHA supports both.

AHA officials say students learn their preferred eating patterns early in life, so with healthy school meals, it can set up North Dakota children to grow into adults who choose healthy foods and thus wind up less likely to develop heart disease.

They also point out one in three North Dakota children relies on the Great Plains Food Bank for food, and of those, about half don’t qualify for federal programs, leaving a significant gap of kids at risk of not having access to healthy food.

The AHA is also pressing the state legislature to increase taxes on cigarettes and smoking materials, and to require schools and athletic facilities to have cardiac arrest action plans in place.

The AHA’s Chrissy Meyer joined the Morning Show for a live interview about why it’s so critical to have cardiac action plans and training in place, as well as why the AHA is putting child heart health front and center this session.

https://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/north-dakota