School tenatively approves proposal for junk food ban

The board unanimously voted in support of the regulation on Friday, but it still must go through a public hearing and win a final approval.

Those in support of the standard hope to remove sodas, candy and chip to replace the items with healthier snacks.

“The schools have an important role in providing a healthy eating environment for children,” said Valerie Cantrell, a Memphis parent who’s a member of the 708 task force responsible for composing the regulations. “Type II diabetes is on the rise with children, and all the affects of cardiovascular disease, I think we finally realize that we need to feed our children right and they can be healthy.”

Gov. Phil Bredesen signed a bill in May requesting the board of education, in conjunction with the state department of health, set nutritional standards for foods sold in vending machines and distributed in school cafeterias.

The motion came from a legislative committee’s concern about the rising level of obesity among kids in Tennessee. The regulation will go up for comment during the next board of education meeting in April.

“We are in a crisis,” said Kenneth Robinson, commissioner of the department of health. “Our children are dying and suffering disproportionately even at early ages from the adverse impact of being overweight and obese.”