In recent years, America's health and economy have become a hot topic of debate in legislative offices. Recent legislation affecting school food nationwide has undergone changes that have prompted widespread debate about the federal government's role in the lives of students, the possible effects on the industry that provides food to schools, and the effects on schools and students themselves. In some cases the changes discussed are welcomed with open arms and are simply formalities, in other cases the changes are reasons to pressure congress to convince them that pizza is considered a vegetable because it contains tomato paste. In the long term, some of the changes will have a positive impact on children's health, and companies will find ways to adapt to the new regulations and succeed. In 2008, approximately 17% of children between the ages of 2 and 19 were considered obese. This statistic tripled over a 30-year period starting in the mid-1970s (CDC). The biggest concern for children in this category is the risk of coronary heart disease from consuming trans fats (CDC). The lifelong effects of obesity are a major reason why the federal government recently adopted changes to the nutritional requirements of the National School Lunch Program. Trans fats were created by scientists to replace the saturated fats found in some processed foods; they are commonly used to extend the shelf life of foods (CDC). The fact is that consuming artificial trans fats negatively affects cholesterol levels and increases the risk of heart disease (CDC). The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program collectively serve 40 million or more meals per day to students nationwide (CDC). Heart disease risk isn't the only...... middle of paper...... /FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf>Salk Institute. "How obesity increases the risk of diabetes." ScienceDaily, June 21, 2009. Web. March 28, 2012. "Schwan's Food Service, Inc. Redefines School Pizza by Offering Healthier Choices for Kids in Over 72,000 U.S. Schools" Businesswire. businesswire.com. March 7, 2011. Web. February 29, 2012. Simon, GE, et al. “Obesity, depression, and health care costs among middle-aged women.” nih.gov, June 28, 2011. Web. March 28, 2012. U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Notices”. usda.gov, March 25, 2011. Web. April 3, 2012. < http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-03-23/pdf/2012-7036.pdf>