The War on Junk Food: Score One for California Schools
May 10, 2012 | Posted by Stacy under Junk food in school |
The idea of curbing junk food at school may ruffle some feathers, but a new study shows that it just may pay off when it comes to the health of our kids.
California is one of several states that has set out to quash childhood obesity by instituting anti-junk food policies, according to the New York Times. Over the past decade, it has not only banned the sale of soft drinks but has also enforced nutrition standards for “competitive foods” (i.e., snacks and foods with minimal or no nutritional value) on school grounds.
Published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, the study was designed to examine what effect, if any, these food policies have had on the nutritional intake of students. Researchers looked at the eating habits of 680 California high school students compared with students from 14 states with no standards for competitive foods. Their conclusion: On average, the Cali kids consumed almost 160 fewer calories per day. They also consumed less fat and sugar.
While 160 calories may sound insignificant, experts say it could be enough to help the kids from becoming part of the rising obesity trend. And in case you’re speculating that they ran out to the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts right after school, there wasn’t any evidence that they compensated for their limited access to junk food after leaving the building.
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