New Research on the Negative Effects of Vending Machines in Schools

The results from a new study published in Journal of School Health which assesses competitive food and beverage use among students in schools and the nutrient intakes derived from these competitive foods are staggering!

About 22% of students in grades 1 through 12 buy food in vending machines each day – and these purchases add an average of 253 calories to their diets, accumulating an extra 14 pounds per child per school year!!

According to the study, vending machines are found in 16% of U.S. elementary schools, 52% of middle schools and 88% of high schools allowing these energy-dense competitive foods, such as sweetened beverages, snack chips, and candy, to be accessible to students in 97% of US schools! The effects of the poor nutritional snacks are detrimental to children’s diets. As the study indicates, kids who utilized vending machines consumed more sugar and less dietary fiber, iron and B vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folate compared to those who abstained.

With results like these, it’s unthinkable that school wellness programs do not adequately address the quality of food and beverages sold in competitive food sources. Guidelines for the nutritional quality of items available are essential to ensure kids are getting the proper daily nutrients. By selling unhealthy options, children become at risk for poor nutrition by choosing these items over a USDA meal or a meal packed from home.

One reason schools are slow to change is because serving healthier options can come at a cost for the school; and in this economic environment, not all are willing to make the change. It is often the case that healthier snack options bring in less money to the school distract than deals with big name companies that sell less healthy options. With government funding for schools declining, districts are not in a rush to remove these high sources of added revenue.

To avoid the negative impact of competitive foods on your child’s diet, parents should provide plenty of healthful snacks from home to get their kids through the school day and if possible, start talking to your school about removing unhealthy options, finding alternative sources of income and getting your school involved in healthy initiatives.

It’s Almost Halloween and Something’s Already Playing Dress Up

Because of the effects of high fructose corn syrup and it being in many products from soft drinks to breads to condiments, HFCS has taken a hit in the past 20 years, says Associated Press. (If you are not aware of the link between HFCS and obesity, here is a little look). More and more consumers are becoming aware of what kinds of products contain HFCS and adjusting their choices in products to avoid it because of the speculated sugar’s link to obesity.

Now that almost everyone knows about HFCS, the Corn Refiners Association has asked the FDA to change the name to “corn sugar” because they feel as though there is confusion among consumers, but is it something new?

The truth is, no. Do not let the proposed name change confuse you. It is the same thing, just with a better name. Great marketing idea, huh? Corn sugar is high fructose corn syrup which is sugar; and at the end of the day sugar is sugar.

They are waiting to see what the FDA has to say and even IF the FDA approves the name change, it will take almost 2 years to see it on labels.

I do not know how others feel, but I definitely feel as though they are trying to trick us! I mean why else would they change the name from HFCS to corn sugar?

What are your thoughts?

New York Times' article on the change

America’s Great Outdoors Initiative: the connection between health and the outdoors

Human health is unquestionably linked to nature and the outdoors. It is essential that we address the amount of time adolescents are spending inside consumed by technology and the reduction in time spent outdoors partaking in its beauty and restorative resources. In order to accomplish this, important issues of safety and accessibility of the outdoors need to be dealt with. With 80% of Americans living in cities today, it is more important than ever that we establish appropriate facilities so people can have access to outside space.

This past April, President Obama signed a memorandum establishing the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative with the hope to develop conservation agenda aimed to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. He believes that protecting, restoring and reconnecting must happen at a local level. Leaders in the initiative are traveling across the country to listen and learn from people directly involved in finding grassroots solutions to reconnect Americans to the outdoors. The great ideas that emerge from the national dialogue will be brought back to the President on November 15th, where recommendations for a 21st century conservation agenda will be designed.

On August 31st, the Organic School Project participated in one of these listening and learning sessions focused on the connection between health and the great outdoors. Many representatives from local and national organizations aimed at conservation efforts and battling health related issues in America attended this session in Chicago, and brought with them their great ideas for the President. With the hopes of creating a cultural turn around, leaders and attendees talked about important issues that need to be addressed. Some topics discussed included ways of improving access to outdoor facilities, ensuring safety in the neighborhoods so kids can use the facilities without fear of danger, doctors incorporating the outdoors in their suggested remedial exercise, for example, walking in a park instead of on on a treadmill, spending some of the trillions of dollars spent on health care on preventative programs, and starting community gardens to foster exercise and eliminate food deserts.

At the "break out session" we were encouraged to contribute our thoughts for future needs and discuss what is currently being done to reconnect humans and the great outdoors. During this session, we shared our beliefs on how school and community gardens can serve as a great mechanism to draw people back outside and get them active. A garden provides a safe place for parents and kids to come and reconnect with the earth and be involved in regular exercise. Here kids learn about nutrition and the environment, and what is involved in keeping an organism healthy. Reconnection at a young age will ensure they become stewards of the earth, providing careful and responsible management of its resources. School and community gardens result in healthier lifestyles among the kids actively working the garden, and a more sustainable way of living among future generations.

One of the great outcomes of the session was being introduced to the many great initiatives taking place across the nation, and many right here in Chicago. Stay tuned as we update you on more topics discussed at the listening and learning session, and current endeavors going on locally and nationally to address these issues.

It is important that you take part in this national dialogue as well! Share your ideas for the conservation agenda, and let the President know what issues you find important for future action.

Removal of chocolate milk from schools

Photo by Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

The New York Times recently ran an article that discusses arguments for and against the removal of flavored milk from schools.

With the amount of added sugar in the standard 8 fl oz serving of chocolate milk offered in schools, kids are getting more of a treat than a healthy beverage with their lunch on a daily basis. The added sweeteners in flavored milk can cause it to contain twice as much sugar as plain low-fat milk! Milk contains calcium, protein, and vitamin D, which support normal body functions such as locomotion and brain performance, and are essential for growing kids. However, cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are not. Milk is naturally sweet from lactose and does not require the added sugar that flavored milk contains.

High sugar consumption is a serious matter. In the long run, it can lead to weight gain and obesity and can disrupt absorption of required nutrients by the body, leading to numerous health effects. In the short term, high sugar consumption can lead to fatigue and migraines which can interrupt learning at school.

Currently, 71% of milk served in schools nationwide is flavored; the majority of it being chocolate. However, its unnecessarily high sugar content has lead some schools to remove it as an option in their cafeterias. This year, schools in Berkley, California are only serving plain milk and school officials in Florida are also considering the ban.

Milk consumption is falling though and is being replaced by sugary drinks such as soda. Recent studies show that on average, milk consumption in elementary schools decreases by 35% once flavored milk is removed from cafeterias. This, coupled with research confirming that nearly three-quarters of teenagers and adults are deficient in the essential nutrients contained in milk forces some to question if flavoring milk is necessary in order to get the kids to drink it and get those nutrients. Is it better for kids to drink milk with added sugar than to not drink milk at all?

Ann Cooper, who runs a national Web site, chefann.com, aimed at reforming school lunch, and advocates for feeding kids healthier food, puts it succinctly in the article when she says… “Saying we need to add sugar and flavoring to milk to get kids to drink it is like saying we need to feed kids apple pie if they don’t like apples.”

Chocolate milk in moderation is all right for kids, but we shouldn’t be teaching them that it is a healthy choice for their daily diet.

We should not make food unhealthy just to get kids to eat it. This seems to defeat the initial purpose of consuming the once healthy beverage. If kids do not like plain milk, there are other ways for them to get their calcium while avoiding unnecessary amounts of sugar. Green leafy vegetables or grains are great options that are even more calcium-rich than milk.

Let us know what you think… Is it better to drink milk with added sugar than no milk at all? Or are schools heading in the right direction by removing flavored milk?

The Link Between Pesticides and ADHD

A recent new study in Pediatrics journal links exposure to pesticides with cases of ADHD in the US and Canada. Researchers from the University of Montreal and Harvard University examined the potential link between a certain pesticide, organophosphates, and ADHD. The researchers analyzed the level of pesticide residue of more than 1100 children from the ages of 8 to 15 and overall found a 35% increase in the odds of developing ADHD with every tenfold increase in concentration of pesticide residue, reports Time.

The article continues to say, “organophosphates are known to cause damage to the nerve connections in the brain — that's how they kill agricultural pests, after all. The chemical works by disrupting a specific neurotransmitter, acetylcholinesterase, a defect that has been implicated in children diagnosed with ADHD. In animal models, exposure to the pesticides has resulted in hyperactivity and cognitive deficits as well.”

If possible, worried parents should try and feed their children organic produce, as well as avoid using bug spray at home. If the produce is not organic, parents should carefully wash and scrub to reduce the amount of residue from pesticides.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1989564,00.html