Before I start, I don't mind keeping corporate products out of school. To me they take advantage of a vulnerable population who can be easily influenced. I also don't mind if schools cut back on vending machines or junk food in the cafeteria. I think it gets a little ridiculous if the kids can't have occasional treats for a celebration or buy a few snacks at a bake sale or even at school (Growing up I consumed most of my junk food at home bought from my corner store).
A study in the Journal Pediatrics recently came out that showed that states that had stricter rules on snacks sold in schools had kids with lower weights than schools that didn't. It's a fucking miracle some might say. Here is how we can make all children super thin again (because they have never been fat children before.)
Except for one thing, the net weight loss between restrictive and unrestricted was about 2.25lbs . That's right. My weight in the morning compared to my weight in the evening is exactly the average that the good schools had over the bad ones. However, another study in Sociology of Education looked at 20,000 kids from Kindergarten to eight grade discovered the same thing and dismissed the findings as insignificant.
It's not that middle schoolers aren't eating junk food; indeed they are, just like most Americans. It's that most of the junk food they're eating is not coming through the schools.
Again, I don't mind having less junk food in school.
But I have to wonder about one thing.
The Pediatrics study followed students from 5th grade to 8th. When I was 10, I was fat but didn't really care yet. When I was 13, I was dieting. I have to wonder if the same schools the restricted the snacks also hitting the anti-obesity message hard? Could the food restricting/anti obesity atmosphere be causing more kids to diet?
The problem is discovering eating disorder statistics by state is near impossible. The only thing I could find was a study showing those in Western countries (Which have more pressure to get thin) have higher rates than non-western countries. Something the Pediatrics study failed to look into.
Asian and South American countries have a huge emphasis on being thin. Several South American countries vie with one another to be the cosmetic surgery capitals of the world. It's not true that western countries have more pressure to be thin.
Further, the study showed a difference of 2.25lbs in GAIN, not loss. Students were not 'restricting' they were less likely to be overeating.
Posted by: Janet | August 21, 2012 at 02:34 AM
It may possible to pack your child a nutritious lunch box that will actually come home at the end of the day empty.
Posted by: gunsmoke Karachi | August 29, 2012 at 07:11 AM