Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Take sugar out of school vending machines

Soft drinks and sweetened snacks contribute to overweight students

The Detroit News

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Students in Metro Detroit and elsewhere are getting fatter and fatter -- and local schools boards have been part or the problem.

Officials have pushed sugar on students in soft drinks, pastries and other body-widening foods. It's part of a national trend that pegs 16 percent of children as overweight, up from about 5 percent in the 1960s.

Changes are coming but too slowly. New state guidelines on schools and food are expected next year. But school boards need not wait. Diet is a matter of common sense based on long-available information. The more unnecessary calories a student ingests, the more likely he or she is to be fat.

Some districts have already ordered up reforms on the grounds that schools should not be part of the child obesity problem, even though diet and food choices are primarily a matter of individual responsibility.

There's a built-in marketing incentive to offer healthy foods: Nearly half of Michigan students are trying to lose weight, says a 2003 survey.

There's a move to replace soft drinks with fruit juices at school but officials should be careful on that point. In a typical vending machine, "reduced fat" milk can have 190 calories per container, much higher than a sugared root beer at 120 calories. Milk, of course, is rated more nutritious than root beer. But if the issue is weight gain, tinkering with vending machine contents must be accompanied by better student education and an awareness that total calorie intake is important.

Industry is helping, too. The American Beverage Association recommends limiting the availability of soft drinks in schools, a move that fits nicely with other pressures to help students lose weight and stay healthy.

When introduced into schools, vending machines were eyed as revenue.

Loaded with the proper foods, they can also be a tool toward healthier student lifestyles.