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Ten years ago, a wiseacre at Yale's Center for Eating and Weight Disorders suggested that junk food be taxed in order to subsidize public education campaigns and more healthful food. A penny tax on, say, a 12-ounce can of soda could raise $1.5 billion annually. Well, Kelly Brownell, that Yale expert, got booed off the stage when he suggested such a thing. Now the idea is popping up in a few policy-making places again as a possible way to address the growing obesity epidemic. Hey, it worked for cigarettes, why not junk food?
Should junk food--food of little nutritional value--be subject to special tax?
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There's a breakfast for every school child who wants it in the state of West Virginia, which has long has a school breakfast program but recently succeeded in getting all schools to offer it. The breakfasts are offered to everyone, and at a reduced cost or free to those with low incomes. Studies have shown that breakfast can improve students' academic performance, but it also reduces absenteeism and misbehavior. Eating breakfast also seems to help control weight, with fewer students making up for that lost nutrition by over-eating the rest of the day. Our lids are off to West Virgnia schools!
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Gym classes and recesses may be in while junk food is kicked out of Denver area elementary schools, if the recommendations of a school nutrition commission there are implemented. The changes have to be approved by the school board. The report and possible food reforms in Denver are among many being considered by school districts across the nation as a means of fighting the growing obesity problem among children.
However, in Shreveport, Louisiana, school officials still aren't convinced that offering "competitive" foods--extras that students can buy along with the usual hot meal--is a bad idea. One third grader there reports, "I get ice cream every day. You can get three (a day) but if you go for four, they say you can't get any more."
Teachers notice that even though the main meal offered students may be quite nutritious, the optional foods usually take priority with kids rushed through lunch time. If they have the money and their parents haven't noted some restrictions in the child's computer file, the students can buy as much of anything as they want. Of course, the money spent on the extras goes to fund school staff. If the extras were restricted, the budget would suffer.
Have a comment about either of these school districts? Write us using the comment box below.
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Our lids are off to the schools in State College, PA for instituting a "grab and go" breakfast program in middle schools. The program seems to be helping kids get the nutrition they need to start the day. Though not a huge number of the schools' 700 students are participating, twice the number of kids as before are now eating breakfast at the school. Teachers believe this is a good for learning.
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Americans of all ages are "dramatically" heavier than they were in 1960, according to a CDC report released last month: "Mean Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index, United States 1960-2002." Over that 42-year span, men and women gained an average of more than 24 pounds. Though Americans average an inch taller than they did 42 years ago, that accounts for only a small share of the weight gain.
Another report, "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America," advocates that obesity prevention needs to become a national priority and calls on President Bush to undertake the task. Nearly two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, as is one in seven children. The top two recommendations fo the report are for the Centers for Disease Control to become the command center on this issues, and for youths to be evaluated for fitness.
If you could tell President Bush what he should do about the state of American's overweight problem, what would it be?
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The schools of San Marcos, Texas should be applauded for their efforts to offer more nutritious food choices in their schools, and for doing away with carbonated sodas in their vending machines. No longer do their vending machines care food "of minimal nutritional value." The machines offer baked chips, trail mix, granola bars, Nutrigrain bars, nuts, seeds, and a variety of crackers. Cafeterias there now offer leaner meats, low fat milk, wheat buns on all burgers and chicken sandwiches. They've also limited fried foods. Read more about these initiatives.
Our lids are off to San Marcos schools!
You can win a healthy vending machine for your school, part of Stonyfield's Menu for Change program.
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Word has it that the new Sponge Bob movie, all the rage among a certain age demographic, is really a big long commercial for junk food, and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is none too happy about it. Sponge Bob now adorns fudge cookies, Rice Krispie treats, and Pop Tarts, among other things. The theory goes that kidlets will be clamoring to consume anything with that strange and stupid icon on it. Current figures for the movie show that it has only raked in $74 million at the box office to date.
What do you think? Should we somehow set about limiting this kind of blatant targeting of the child consumer? Do movies like this matter? Are parents able to stand up to the pressures their children will no doubt put on them to buy the branded junk food treats?
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Child nutrition officials in some California schools decided to offer mid-morning "nutritional breaks" instead of their usual free breakfast program, when participation in breakfast got too low. Immediately, teachers reported seeing a big difference in student behavior and attention spans. This is, of course, a good lesson for us all--breakfast really is very important, especially when you think of food as fuel and your body has been without fuel for the 10 or so hours you were asleep. The "nutritional breaks" offered bagels and juice, but nutrition experts counsel that any morning food that involves some protein, some carbohydrates and fruit would be an excellent way to get revved for the day. Those in this article even recommend cold pizza, or fresh fruit and string cheese, or a bag of cereal and nuts.
The grab the to-go breakfasts offered at the nutrition breaks included bagels and orange juice. Studies have shown that those who eat breakfast eat less at lunch, which can add up to a weight loss.
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Our lids are off to the Person County Schools of North Carolina, which will soon implement Eat Smart in an attempt to curb rising rates of child obesity in that state. In January, elementary school cafeteria meals will be no more than 30 percent of calories from fat and no more than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat. The program will encourage students to eat more fruits and vegetables each day and to get at least three servings of low-fat milk or yogurt each day. In the ala carte line, things like ice cream, cookies, pre-packaged snacks and canned fruit juices have been banned. Fruits, vegetables, yogurt and bottled water will be sold instead.
In North Carolina, 23 percent children ages 5 to 12 are overweight, while 26 percent of students ages 12 to 18 are overweight.
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Proving that if you offer it, people will eat it, the schools of Jefferson County, Alabama have discovered that their students are catching on to the healthier fare being offered in the cafeteria. Students are choosing green salads over taco salads and baked chicken over fried. In addition to more options, the school has also limited the French fries, downsized pizza to twice a week, replaced ice cream with juice, and revamped its vending machine options. All this is an effort to get students to make healthier food choices.
State school nutrition officials also have seen a 26 percent increase in the use of lower fat foods since last school year. Many cafeterias have made the switch even with classics, such as corn dogs, to a low-fat variety. Ground turkey has replaced ground beef.
Lauren Barron, a junior at Corner High, confesses she once liked nothing but burgers and fries. "Now I just don't want it because it is so greasy," she said. "I feel better when I eat a salad."
School officials note that the greater variety of fruits and vegetables offered to students makes them harder to pass up. Good advice for us all!
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