Fogle’s plan funds school wellness programs and educates parents about healthy decisions and “at risk” signs. Researchers take issue with the latter goal, which “blames the family for problems that are only partially their fault,” says Adam Drewnowski, director of the University of Washington’s nutritional-science program. Repeating familiar messages—water is better than soda, fruit is better than fries—also runs the risk of tuning parents out. “We don’t want to beat them over the head with how to read a label or not to eat fried foods,” says Karrie Kalich, a health-science professor at Keene State College. “Education alone usually doesn’t adjust behavior in a significant way.” But Fogle says he’s undeterred, citing the many parents he’s met who “just don’t know what’s truly healthy for their kids.”
