No More Soda in Schools in Ct!

[castleview]

That's ok in theory, but what about students like me? I am a paraplegic. Try putting me on a sports team w/o being a manager.

Some people have no choice but to maintain their weight through diet and excercising the best way they can. When I graduated high school in 1996, I was about 5"4 and weighed 120 just by watching what I ate and doing the best I could for exercise.

Oooh! I'm sorry. My apologies for forgetting about handicapped students. But it sounds like you did the right thing. You did what you could physically AND watched what you ate. I think all kids should learn that, but I don't think the state should be going about the obesity problem this way. Again, I have no problem with schools not selling soda. I just see this as the legislature uslessly grandstanding.

Keep in mind, the publicity seeking politician who came up with this is the same man who wanted the schools to start later in the day because "it broke his heart to see kids getting up so early." So I'm a little skeptical of anything he comes up with.

Now forgive me for being nostalgic...ah, 120 lbs., I remember it so well...sigh.

 

[C.Ann]

I think its another state law with no real end result. We have the "hands free cell phone" law and what happens is that, drivers stay on the phone longer and talk longer than they would if they had the phone in their hand. It won't reduce accidents. Just like substituting apple juice for Diet Coke won't make anyone thinner.

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I'm not basing my opinion on "thinner" - just overall health issues.. Soda and the other garbage that is provided in schools today is disgusting and unhealthy.. I worked in a school cafeteria for a few years and was not at all happy with the "junk" we were forced to feed these kids.. I see there have been "some" improvements recently - a few healthy alternatives (yogurt and such) - but they have a LONG way to go..

And for the record, children do not have to be "obese" to be in danger from the junk foods they eat on a daily basis.. A look at some of the recent studies on children have shown that even "thin" kids are having issues with high cholesterol levels and such..

 

[bimshire]

Sodas have high fructose syrup which is bad news for anybody.

And I will second the comment that thinness does not mean in good health.

 

[DawnCt1]

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I'm not basing my opinion on "thinner" - just overall health issues.. Soda and the other garbage that is provided in schools today is disgusting and unhealthy.. I worked in a school cafeteria for a few years and was not at all happy with the "junk" we were forced to feed these kids.. I see there have been "some" improvements recently - a few healthy alternatives (yogurt and such) - but they have a LONG way to go..

And for the record, children do not have to be "obese" to be in danger from the junk foods they eat on a daily basis.. A look at some of the recent studies on children have shown that even "thin" kids are having issues with high cholesterol levels and such..

The school lunch program is another issue and Barkley addressed that well in the last post. Fructose is fructose however and I would prefer a teen have a diet coke than fill up on high fructose apple juice. As for vending machines, they shouldn't be in any school below high school anyway.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Our school system has recently gone into the business of using 5-6-7 year old elementary school students as a marketing ploy...

They are pushing Slushies, at lunch, in the school cafeteria.

Along with all the other 'extras', and parading the kids by the concession stand for 'snack-time' every day. where they offer nasty blue pop and airheads candy.

And, guess what, they are not even giving he parent the control of requiring the parent to send cash money to school with their child if they want their kid to have this junk. It is all just put on the account.

Yep folks, money talks. and they are out to use the school 'Nutrition Progarm' (if they even have the nerve to call it that! ) to pick our pockets.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I just wanted to add.

I don't care how many lame parents out there say, let'm have it.. they are going to drink/eat it anyhow.

That doesn't make it -right- for the schools to be in the business of selling this stuff. Especially elementary schools.

 

[crazelion]

Kids will stop using vending machines and stop spending there money of health drinks and those the schools will have go back to offer soda in school.

Having a school lunch that's healthty a kid won't eat will not keep kids from getting fat.

Just by offerijng something healthty does not mean everyone will eat and they is waste a lot food that way.

 

[glass-slipper]

Seriously, I think maybe everyone should be more concerned about making sure schools are smoke-free, drug-free and weapon-free, than worried if the kid is drinking a coke for lunch.

 

[C.Ann]

Seriously, I think maybe everyone should be more concerned about making sure schools are smoke-free, drug-free and weapon-free, than worried if the kid is drinking a coke for lunch.

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Why can't we be concerned about all of it? Why only one or two or three options to be concerned about?

Are you concerned "only" about murderers and not pedophiles?

Are you concerned "only" about second-smoke but not about drinking and driving?

Are you concerned "only" about heart attacks and not cures for cancer?

I think people are capable of having many concerns - and doing whatever they can about those concerns - at the same time..

 

[Philadisney]

sounds good to me. i went to school in CT and we didn't have soda machines in the schools (we had candy & ice cream machines though, that's certainly not much better!). i stopped drinking soda in college and when i tried to go back after a couple of years i was DISGUSTED - you'd be surprise how icky that stuff can taste once you are no longer used to it!

 

[glass-slipper]

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Why can't we be concerned about all of it? Why only one or two or three options to be concerned about?

Are you concerned "only" about murderers and not pedophiles?

Are you concerned "only" about second-smoke but not about drinking and driving?

Are you concerned "only" about heart attacks and not cures for cancer?

I think people are capable of having many concerns - and doing whatever they can about those concerns - at the same time..

Well, thanks for taking what I said to a whole other level I'm sure whether our kids drink a soda in school compares to your examples BTW, I said "more concerned" not concerned only. Just looking at the bigger picture and what I am sure are more serious issuses.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

crazelion Kids will stop using vending machines and stop spending there money of health drinks and those the schools will have go back to offer soda in school.

Having a school lunch that's healthty a kid won't eat will not keep kids from getting fat.

Just by offerijng something healthty does not mean everyone will eat and they is waste a lot food that way.

So if we don't feed them junky crap, they'll all either die of thirst or starvation because they will just refuse to eat?

righhhhhttttt - as we say around here, this is the food we have. You don't have to eat it, but I'm not making anything else. 3 kids and none of them have chosen starvation yet.

 

[poohandwendy]

Honestly, do kids really need vending machines in school at all? How about drinking water from the fountain if you are thirsty?

I see this as such a trivial non-issue, it's almost a joke. For petes sake, let's stick with worrying about the quality of the education in schools, not the constant availability of liquids.

 

[mum4jenn]

Well...leave it to me(school lunch manager) to find this thread!! LOL!!

If the school participates in the National School Lunch Program this change could be a part of their Wellness Plan. EVERY school that participates in the school lunch program is required BY LAW to have a policy in effect by July of this year. The policy is/was to be made up of committe members consisting of faculty,board members,and parents.

A ban on sodas is a great start.!!!!!!!!

At my school (grades 3-5) we serve really good tasty meals that most our kids really love. Every year we make inmprovements and have new guidelines to follow. This year the big focus is lowering fat and sodium. We have eliminated wholw milk and we offer fat-free,1%,2%, and low fat chocolate milk.We have 100% fruit juice sometimes for the fruit serving for breakfast but do not sell it. When we serve pizza it is whole grain reduced fat pepperoni.Some of the cereal makers are now providing whole grain 1/3 less sugar cereal and I purchase those when I can. As more changes are made I will offer the very best I can. I also serve fresh fruit a minimum of two times a week sometimes three times.
The school lunch program here does the best we can with what is available to us. As the manufacturers make better items available to us then we will do the best we can to offer them to our students.

There are daily requirements which we must adhere to or yes lose funding. We are required to furnish 2/3 of the RDA to students and we do. There are also weekly requirements regarding what vegetables and fruits are offered according to the vitamins that are in the item.

In this past Sunday's USA today there was an article in there about the Wellness policy. It is not all about the school nutrition program either. It also has to to with physical education and othere aspects of a healthy lifestyle.It encouraged those that are always griping about the health of students and what food is offered to get on the committee and help make their wellness policy for their county. So my challenge to all of you as well is to stop griping about the "crappy food" and the "lack of physical education." Get out there and get yourselves on this committee and YOU be the ones that have a voice in making positive changes OR stop complaining!!!!

 

[RitaZ.]

When I was in high school, there were no soda machines at our school. Surprisingly, we all survived. I remember few kids that had a weight problem, this was back in the early 80's.

I stopped buying soda years ago, we don't even miss it. Yes, my kids drink soda when we go out to dinner or if we are having a party. I don't forbid them from drinking soda, I just don't buy any soda for regular drinking.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Honestly, do kids really need vending machines in school at all? How about drinking water from the fountain if you are thirsty?

I see this as such a trivial non-issue, it's almost a joke. For petes sake, let's stick with worrying about the quality of the education in schools.....

 

[castleview]

I stopped buying soda years ago, we don't even miss it. Yes, my kids drink soda when we go out to dinner or if we are having a party. I don't forbid them from drinking soda, I just don't buy any soda for regular drinking.

That's come back to bite me sort of. I never gave my kids soda, so when we go to a party and that's all there is, they drink water or nothing. They just don't like it. Not complaining though!

 

[TDC Nala]

I hope caffiene doesn't give you cancer like nicotine does.

I go through two to four cans of diet Coke a day. Water bores me. But I'm an adult and nobody should give a darn what I drink.

 

[eclectics]

I think the time to assess this was BEFORE they brought soda machines into the schools but now how do you stuff the genie back in the bottle? I don't think you do. I think kids will bring it from home. The problem with a state legislature that is in session too much is this kind of thing.

I agree, why punish the healthy kid who is already used to drinking an occasional soda. I'm all for fighting obesity but shouldn't healthy eating habits be emphasized in the home? Let's face it, if a child is overweight, I don't think you can blame the school or the soda machine. If they want to go after a machine, why not target the candy and snack machines? While soda certainly isn't healthy, having a can with your lunch is a bit better than the Snickers bar, M&M's and Twizzlers a kid is likely to have for "dessert". But I do agree with those that say elementary age children really don't need all this stuff to begin with. If I were to call the shots it would be; Elementary School- No machines, Middle School- Drink Machines only, High School- Whatever they want to buy (they are old enough to figure stuff out for themselves).

 

[Mari annie]

You are lucky!

We have 2 kids and we don't have soda in the house.

When we get pizza we have it.

Kids eat enough crap and no school she be influenced in giving kids things that are unhealthy.
They need better nutrition guidlines in the schools across the country.

They should also implement programs for parents who lack the common sense or mentality seminars on nutrition, too many people allow their kids to eat too much unhealthy junk food.

Just my two cents!