Public Schools Fighting Obesity, Or Not
Kids are going to be pissed, or maybe not.
Tens of millions of students will no longer be able to buy non-diet sodas in the nation’s public schools under an agreement announced Wednesday between major beverage distributors and anti-obesity advocates.
I for one think this is a good idea but I don’t think it will stop kids from becoming obese. I personally don’t think that the public school system is to blame for our children being fatter than ever. It’s the parents fault and I see it all the time while shopping in Walmart. It’s become the norm to shut a kid up with food. Next time you are grocery shopping look at the kids that are in the child seats of shopping baskets. I guarantee you that over 80% of them will be eating something and it won’t be anything nutritious. Parents don’t discipline their children anymore, they distract them with treats instead. When I was a kid you received treats for behaving, but now kids receive treats to keep them distracted.
The article also says that it will only sell water, juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools. What exactly do they classify as juice? How about a Sobe Black & Blue Berry Brew?
In my kids elementary school they don’t sell any sodas, but they do have a Sobe "juice" machine in the cafeteria. I don’t know if any of you have ever tried a Sobe Black and Blue Berry Brew before but I can tell you that its just as sweet as any soda. Hell, the second ingredient is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP and the fourth is SUGAR. Is this any better for our children? The argument of course being that it has juice in it so at least there is something that gives it nutritional value right? Sure, but not until you get to the sixth ingredient do you see any kind of juice. Also, you should note that a serving size is 8 oz. but the bottle is 20 oz. Kids do not look at serving sizes on labels. To a kid this bottle is one serving and I will bet that every kid given one of these will drink the whole thing in one sitting which equates to a whopping 310 calories and 78g of sugar. This is certainly no better then the average soda.
While I think that the public schools are moving in the right direction, I think that parents are ultimately responsible for what their children are eating and drinking. Besides, ever notice that fat kids normally have fat parents? Come on people, get a damn clue and stop killing your own children. The government won’t save them, that job is up to you.
Read the whole story here and check out some nutritional info on Sobe drinks on their website.
Technorati Tags: diet, fat, Fitness, food, juice, kids, nutrition, obesity, public, Rants, school, sobe, soda, sugar, water
May 4th, 2006 at 10:20 am
I think making PE mandatory would be more beneficial than taking out sodas. While certainly not the solution, it would at least give kids a structured activity time. Changes do need to be made in the home. I go crazy grocery shopping listening to kids scream about wanting something. Seriously, take control of your kids! Additionally, “junk” food is also cheaper and last longer than “healthy” food. I would assume that the majority of the US that is obese is also not so financially well off. I do know what happens when you assume, so I may be wrong.