Universal free school meals linked with reduced childhood obesity

Schools that offer universal free meals are associated with lower childhood obesity, according to a new study.

The study measured changes in obesity prevalence at 3531 low-income schools in California between 2013 and 2019 who were eligible to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program that began nationwide in 2014 and allows schools and districts in low-income areas to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students.

Researchers used over 3.5 million body mass index (BMI) measurements from students in grades 5, 7 and 9. The students’ BMI was taken annually over the study’s six-year period.

It found that schools that participated in CEP had a 2.4% relative reduction in obesity prevalence compared to schools that were CEP-eligible but did not participate in the program.

CEP participation has gone up in recent years. A report by the Food Research and Action Center revealed that during the 2022-2023 school year, an all-time high of 40,235 schools adopted the program.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also announced a final rule to expand CEP access to an estimated 3,000 additional districts.

CEP is not the only way some schools are able to offer meals at no charge to all students. A handful of states have started their own universal free school meals programs that allow schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to students.

See which states currently offer universal free meals via the map below: