There’s no doubt that prevention and wellness are critical components of healthcare reform. Universal care could be achieved at far less expense if Americans took care of themselves better.

There’s actually good news on the wellness front. Public schools, prodded by the federal government, are feeding children better food. Next month, the Tomah School District will begin its second year of enthusiastically embracing federal school lunch guidelines that require:

* Food options low in fat, calories and added sugars.

* No food items with more than 30 percent of their total calories derived from fat.

* Removal of candy and soda pop in vending machines on school grounds.

They are critical changes. Too many youngsters eat atrocious diets; now they eat at least one-meal per day that serves whole-grains breads, fried foods cooked in soybean oil (which significantly reduces trans-fat), canned fruit packed in light syrup instead of heavy syrup, and milk as their lunchtime beverage instead of soda pop.

Schools also must implement wellness programs that include changes in the health and physical education curriculums, creation of nutritional guidelines for district fund-raising projects and new policies that encourage teachers and principals to use non-food items as incentives for teachers and staff. Tomah is also attaching a fitness building to the high school to accommodate $660,000 worth of fitness equipment awarded by a federal grant.

It will take years to reverse sedentary lifestyles and bad diets that have led to record levels of childhood obesity and diabetes. However, such efforts must start sometime, and it’s encouraging to see the public sector implement a policy that’s geared to the long term.

Prevention, of course, can’t substitute for healthcare reform. There are still too many Americans, through little or no fault of their own, who face bankruptcy because they don’t have health insurance or discover their insurance company won’t pay a legitimate claim. However, people on all sides of the healthcare debate can agree that eating better, getting more exercise and avoiding destructive lifestyles can substantially reduce the nation’s healthcare bill. Schools are already on board, and their investments in nutrition and wellness will eventually pay off for everyone.