Cleaning up our schools and slimming down our children

By Alana Gold, Registered Dietitian

In 2004 we will see new efforts being made to fight childhood obesity. At Truestar Health, we have an action plan in place to help slim down our children through kid-friendly diet, exercise and supplement plans Thankfully, Truestar is not alone in this venture. Various governments are implementing new plans to trash junk food and sugar-laden drinks from the school system.

Consider some of the latest health statistics:

• 35% of boys are overweight in Canada
• 29% of girls are overweight in Canada
• 17% of boys are obese in Canada
• 15% of girls are obese in Canada
• 42 to 63% of obese school-aged children will become obese adults

Show me the money!
With the lack of school funding that is all too common today, school boards have turned to soft drink and junk food vending machine sales to boost revenue. Two school boards in Ontario recently revealed they have contracts with Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola for vending machines in the cafeteria—a contract estimated at $10 million dollars. The extra money generated from vending machine sales is appealing to school boards because it can help pay for things such as school supplies and programs. But should this new wave fundraising comes at the expense of our children’s health.

Junk food shutting out healthy food
Studies clearly show that nutrient-poor junk food and sugary drinks are replacing nutrient-rich foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables among our children. Studies also show that children who drink sweetened drinks consume 244 more calories a day than children who do not. We know that if the number of calories consumed equals the number of calories burned, we can maintain our weight. So, by ridding the diet of excess “empty” calories coming from sugary drinks, we can start to help our children achieve a normal weight. In addition, the large amounts of sugar consumed at school can cause children to have poor concentration in class. For more information on sugary drinks, click here.

What exactly is being done?
Ontario is following in the footsteps of other places, such as New York City, California and Texas, which have mandates in place to stop the sale of junk food and sugary drinks in schools. The government is now acting on the principles of “practicing what you preach” to help fight childhood obesity. If we are going to teach our children about healthy eating and living, we shouldn’t have junk foods and sugary drinks at their disposal in the very place we are teaching them. This sends a conflicting message to our impressionable young children about health. It is also very easy for a child to get a dollar for a soft drink or fries and toss out their homemade lunch.

School boards are now being asked to replace junk foods and sugary drinks in elementary schools with healthier snacks, water and 100% juices. In fact, just announced this week, the beverage companies have decided that by the next school year, vending machines in elementary schools will only offer fruit juices, water and sports drinks. A good step indeed, but only 50 % of the choices will be the healthy drinks such as 100% juices and water. The other 50% will be sugary sports drinks and juice drinks.

There are no plans at this time to financially compensate the school boards for lost revenue they may experience from pulling junk foods and sugar-laden drinks from cafeterias and vending machines. However, school boards can still have vending machines and brand-name labels in schools as long as they are the healthier choices. In the United States, Coca-Cola in conjunction with the education community has developed the Model Guidelines for School Beverage Partnership to bring healthier beverages into the schools.

A Final Note: The childhood obesity epidemic is not only caused by poor diet but also due to lack of activity. Young children are so tuned in to the television, they don’t expend the calories they consume, resulting in weight gain. Check out the Truestar Exercise Program for Kids to help your child stay fit and healthy.

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