Ban on ‘junk food’ right move to make
For years, Tennessee schools have been financing education at the expense of healthy eating habits. Schools in Warren County have been no different.
Money from soft drink machines and snack machines has become a vital part of school budgets — so vital school officials have been willing to let kids eat junk food because they can’t afford not to.
Thankfully, the state Board of Education has stepped in and declared soft drinks and potato chips are among the “junk food” items that will not be sold in K-8 public schools next year. It’s refreshing to see such action coming from the state level so a majority of Tennessee students, not just local students, can benefit from more nutritious eating habits.
Even with the state-level decision there has still been grumbling. Some school administrators are wondering if the revenue from more healthy items will equal the revenue from honey buns and candy bars.
The vending machine money is so vital because our schools are underfunded. Money raised through vending machines is essential for school operations and is used to fill an array of needs from copy paper to supplemental instructional materials to computers.
When the Standard did an in-depth report on vending machine sales in 2002, the newspaper found Warren County schools sold more than $110,000 worth of junk food to students in one year.
That’s why this is such a catch-22 situation. In an effort to do what’s best for children by funding education, we’re establishing undesirable eating habits that could last a lifetime. It comes down to a simple decision of giving priority to health over funding.
Why has junk food been allowed in our schools? The answer – money, money and more money – is no longer acceptable for a country with child obesity rates that have tripled in the last 20 years.
The Standard doesn’t believe funding education through vending machines is the proper philosophy. It’s nice to see state educators are on the same proverbial page.
The state Board of Education has decided it’s time to start working toward a solution. Instead of recognizing the problem and figuring there’s no way to ever change it, some alternatives should be offered.
For starters, the possibility of supplying our school system with adequate funds must be examined. If there’s no way to accomplish this goal without – arghh! – a tax increase then the next logical step is stocking vending machines with better foods. That’s exactly what’s going to happen next year.
Instead of soft drinks, there will be juice. Instead of chocolate, offer low-fat pretzels. And this may be a completely off-the-wall idea, but students could actually eat foods like apples and bananas for snacks.
There’s also the significant oversight of not including high school students in the state junk food ban. The recent decision only applies to K-8 students, which is something state officials should change. All students can benefit from better eating habits, not just younger students. Ninth-graders are by no means adults.
Offering poor food choices to students in order to subsidize the school budget is wrong. Almost all school officials agree it’s wrong. That’s why taking action and banning junk food was the appropriate step. The next move is to make the ban apply to all public school students.