School Nutrition: Targeting Junk-Food-Filled Vending Machines

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Statistics show that nearly one in three American children are either overweight or obese. I repeat: one in three! Sadly, these statistics have become the norm and for no justified reason.

These statistics need to change for a number of reasons, the most important one being that this is a matter of life and death. But where do we start?When our grocery store aisles are filled with candy, cookies, soda, sugary cereals and other heart-unhealthy processed foods and sugary, artificial additives, how do we shake this epidemic?

While I believe that parents play the most important role in teaching children healthy habits, I also believe that the U.S. school system plays a very central part in developing a child's eating habits.

I recently published my fourth book (coauthored by Natalie Geary, M.D.) called "The Food Cure for Kids." The book is, in a few words, about how kids become better -- or "cured," if you will -- physically, mentally and behaviorally when living on the ideal nutritional diet.

While skimming the BusinessWeek website, I came across an article entitled "School Vending Machines Undermine Student Nutrition." The article really hit home and is very closely related to my book.

The social issues inflicted upon children who are overweight and obese are highly debilitating and include depression and lack of self-esteem. What type of message are we sending when educational institutions -- the very place that is supposed to infuse our children with thoughtfulness and nourishment -- literally pushes limitless high-calorie and excessively processed foods?

The BusinessWeek article examined a study from the Journal of Adolescent Health, showing the negative impact that vending machine foods had on the purchasing choices of students at about 150 different U.S. schools. Eighty-three percent of the studied schools housed vending machines with foods containing minimal nutritional value -- such as chips, soda and candy. The remaining schools' vending machines contained fruits and vegetables.

The findings showed that students without access to junk food-filled vending machines ate more produce overall.

The moral of this story is that children will adapt to what they are given. Put a junk food-filled vending machine in front of a child and more than likely he will dial for Doritos. When this same child is presented a vending machine with the choice between an apple or a bag of grapes, he will have no choice but to choose one of two fruits and, consequently, develop a taste for fruit. Vending machines do not make sense inside a house of education unless they are offering thoughtful foods that are beneficial to children's health.

In my book, I actually note my opinion that vending machines are a novel and unnecessary addition to schools. Principals and parents have begun to see them as a source of revenue to pay for extracurricular programs and school supplies. Parents must realize, however, that the implementation of vending machines are becoming factors of the growing number of children with heart problems, diabetes and other health risks.

Parents and principals: If you want healthy, successful and active children, I ask you to look for revenue solutions beyond vending machines; there is a better way to raise money than asking your child to buy a bag of chips. A bag of grapes will support your school's football team or your fall talent show just as well as a bag of chips or a pack of Twinkies. Even better, your kids will walk away with a valuable lesson and maybe even increased self-esteem.

Take the time to check out your child's cafeteria and explore what's inside their vending machines. If you don't like what you see, take a stand. Do something. If parents and schools can work together we will find a new generation of children, which are better educated and healthier. What more can a parent want?

 

Follow Oz Garcia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@ozgarcia

Comments

[kemrick]

02:08 PM on 12/28/2010

Thank you for shining the light on the crucial issue of childhood obesity. It is amazing how short sighted we can be when it comes to choosing between convenience, comfort, profit and the long term effects of the choices we make. Childhood obesity is an epidemic and the beginnings of a serious health crisis in the United States. For the first time in many years, children are not expected to outlive their parents, and contributing to this sad fact is the easy access to soda and other processed foods in schools. Equally disturbing is the high number of commercials targeting kids and advertising foods with little nutritional value, but packed with sugar and other harmful ingredients. It's a huge issue to tackle, but hopefully with growing awareness small positive changes can occur.

[HockeyMom]

11:48 AM on 12/08/2010

Gee I never thought the actual lunch was healthier. When I was young we actually had cooks that made a wonderful meal that you could smell through out the building. But then the gov stepped in and forced the school to buy commodities, which better supported big business. After that everything came out of a can and was covered in cheese.

[mrskorn]

12:48 AM on 12/08/2010

How about getting rid of the neighborhood store in the inner city that provides children with plenty of gum and candy to start their day and bring into the classroom...who needs a vending machine?

[biology guy]

10:45 AM on 12/06/2010

no comments about the cynical abuse of a captive underage audience by the big two cola companies? Pepsi/Coke will donate MILLIONS of dollars to school districts for the right to place their machines in front of elementary (on up) school children... when I point this out to my students and ask WHY they do this, they always miss the advertising angle. A dollar spent on advertising on a 5 year old will pay multiple dollars over a lifetime (never mind that the lifetime will be significantly shorter due to the problems associated with obesity).

cynical business indeed

[sinocensio]

06:35 PM on 12/04/2010

Yes it's me again for this problem is really a national, problem, a problem that has affected or has infected every corner of this country. America, especially the low income or rural folks that do not value regular exercise, or have not made it part of their daily lives. As you stated the children are allowed to make a lot of decisions at a very early age, about how they are going to live, and what they are going to eat.le America has a bad discipline problem, with each generation, a more looser, form of discipline when it comes to raising America's future citizens. America has fallen even deeper in love with the t.v., video games, hanging out, a fetish for all things cell phones or other types of electronic forms of distraction, keeping America's youth from establishing more active lifestyles. And Mom and Dad are the role models, leaving their parental responsibilities in the hands of the media and little electronic gadgets that we give the misnomer: Technology. You want to blame the same school system that had to dump, common sense thinking, research based methodology, that was getting more and more accurate as far as reaching a very diverse America ( L. Thompkins where are you?) Pragmatic, well rounded education, with a broad base curriculum that could include a program teaching good character traits, healthy nutritional and physical fitness along with other subjects are in the past.

[sinocensio]

06:20 PM on 12/04/2010

Your right on with the stats, but the causes of America's childhood and adult obesity problems stem more than children picking the wrong food to eat for lunch. Note this we are talking about middle schools and high schools where there are students that are used to making their own choices, the ones that make the correct one comes from a home where good nutrition and leading a healthy and physically fit lifestyle are valued by all members of that home. This is correct parenting, by educating and role modeling what it is suppose to look like so they explicitly learn and through good parenting they are guided throughout their life by their parents. Elementary schools in California, are working each year to improve the lunches and usually these children have no other choice except for a sack lunch from home. At the school I taught at for almost 20 years, is in a low income, very diverse, and transitory part of town, the majority of the students threw away most of their lunches right in the trash, eating virtually nothing. At home who knows, in my culture most of our home cooking was very fattening, high in caloric intake, and most of these students eat their home cultural foods and lots of fast food which is a very cheap and more readily accessible in this part of town. Most of the severe obese students enroll that way. Then there is the lack of exercise.

[organicconnect]

11:32 AM on 12/04/2010

Getting rid of junk food vending machines in schools has a much wider effect than just improving nutrition. It evidently has a very positive effect on the behavior and academic performance of the students as well: http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/2010/07/can-we-cut-crime-by-changing-cafeteria-menus/

[VanessaFas]

09:31 PM on 12/03/2010

I have never seen these junk food vending machines, so I guess I should consider my kids lucky. I have, however, gotten upset that my kid asks for $1, to buy bottled water at school, when there are plenty of water fountains around. She now carries a water bottle, and refills it 2-3 times a day.

Junk food is like crack. We all know it is wrong, but it is too enjoyable to pass up. School boards that allow these machines in the schools should be challenged, and loudly. Who cares about the money shell game that these boards are running, when they are letting the kids focus on Coke and Lays, instead of reading and math!

I know there has always been a soda machine in the teachers' lounge, but that shouldn't be there, either. We need to live what we preach, and teach by example. We shouldn't allow smokers, gamblers, or bullies to be teachers, or those who are addicts of the drug and alcohol nature, either. We need to hold everyone accountable. Across the board.

[Dan Brewington]

06:20 PM on 12/03/2010

The sad reality of the situation is that healthy eating cost more money. As for some of the vending machines, here's a novel idea; begin selling bottled water at schools for a quarter. For some reason society has demonized faucets and drinking fountains across the country. If you make make the alternative to grabbing a sugar filled beverage a better deal, then the adolescent will be more likely to opt for the bottled water. If you give someone a choice between a dollar soft drink and a dollar water, the soft drink is going to be the better value; but if you give a person a choice between a dollar soft drink and a bottled water that cost a quarter, the person is likely to rethink their purchase. [Note, this idea does not take into account any environmental consequences of plastic water bottles. I'm just concentrating on childhood obesity.]

[NancyPeske]

04:34 PM on 12/03/2010

I truly believe that much of the reason kids want to use vending machines is the sense of independence they get when spending their own money. It's not that they really even want a drink or a particular snack, but that it feels good to be able to make a choice and spend their money. I wonder if there's a way to meet that need and get rid of the junk food and drink in vending machiens?

http://www.sensorysmartparent.com

[Callyson]

12:54 AM on 12/03/2010

The late, great MTV show "Daria" had an episode about this very issue:
Facing a lack of funds, Principal Li accepts a generous sum of money from a soda company, in exchange for letting them promote and advertise their product on campus. Daria has a problem with the fact that the school is being used in this manner, however, everybody--the school superintendent included-feels she has no right to complain since the arrangement is bringing the school the money it needs. Unfortunately, Ms. Li fails to meet the profit quota the soda company requires, and is forced to increase promotion of the product, to the point of including it in athletic uniforms and lesson plans. Ultimately the effort to amend the situation proves too much for her, and the soda company is forced to pull out of the deal (though it still leaves its logo in several strategically placed areas).
http://www.tv.com/daria/fizz-ed/episode/26601/summary.html
Can't Daria have a niece or something, for the next generation? Come on, MTV, you were good one time...you can do it again...

[richieroo]

10:14 PM on 12/02/2010

Overweight kids and a dad who doesn't care... America's hottest new fitness star The Angry Trainer, weighs in on a family's diet dilemma...

http://www.angrytrainerfitness.com/2010/10/ask-alfonso-tween-temptations/

[Nicole Dixson]

06:22 PM on 12/02/2010

The food police has hit my son's school. Now the vending machines are filled with baked Doritos, Cheetos, Snackwell cookies, fruit snacks, granola bars, water, fruit drinks and Powerade. Is this selection REALLY better? Hmm...

[ywcachieve]

04:01 PM on 12/02/2010

When I was in school our snack vending machines had fresh apples and oranges in them. In the beverage machines we had fresh orange juice and milk.

[Callyson]

12:55 AM on 12/03/2010

Kudos to your school--where was that enlightened place?

[ReesieKitty]

01:32 PM on 12/02/2010

At my son's old school we were able to purchase steam tables and become part of a pilot program for healthier school lunches. At first the veggies and salad and other fresh items were met with groans, its true. But gradually the kids started to get into it and after the end of the year we were able to prove that food waste was actually DOWN- kids were eating MORE of the healthier lunches than they had of the old ones. The program was adopted into all of the elementary schools in our old District. So it CAN be done- it just doesn't happen overnight.