Sweet victory against high-fructose corn syrup in Connecticut schools

[Atman]

Senate: No More Soda In Schools
Kids' Health Cited; Battle Over Sales Moves To House
April 21, 2006
By CHRISTOPHER KEATING, Capitol Bureau Chief

They even banned diet soda.

In a bitter clash pitting the soda industry against lawmakers, the state Senate won Thursday night, voting for one of the nation's toughest school nutrition bills, banning the sale of all soda and popular sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade.

If the Senate has its way, the only drinks that could be sold in public schools would be healthy varieties such as water, 1 percent milk, soy milk, skim milk and 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice. The heavily lobbied bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where lawmakers debated for eight hours last year in a clash that lasted longer than debates on the death penalty and civil unions for gay couples.

The 24-8 vote Thursday marked the latest chapter in a long-running saga at the state Capitol. Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed a similar bill last year because, she said, it usurped the power of the local school boards. But Rell supports this year's revamped version after a compromise was reached between the state Department of Education and Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, the chief legislative proponent.

"There is no parent I know who wants their child to consume unhealthy food," Williams said during a two-hour debate on the Senate floor. "It's time to do the right thing for children's health."

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-junkfood0421.artapr21,0,6062803.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

[BonnieJW]

1. Fabulous news

Now if parents would do the same in their homes.

[SmokingJacket]

2. That crap shouldn't be there in the first place. nt

[donco6]

3. They'll just bring it from home.

Or leave campus in droves at lunch to snarf down burgers and pop.

I can't tell you how many kids walk in with a GROCERY BAG full of extra hot Cheetos and liter of pop.

But hey, at school they can have bread and water.

[sharp_stick]

5. Some but not as much

We used to go off campus to buy junk but we didn't do it every day. Now they can pick up a Coke on the way to class, another one between classes, one at lunch etc.

I think banning this stuff is the first move, next we need Jamie Oliver to come in and change the cafeterias the way he's been doing in England.

[donco6]

6. We don't have pop in schools at all here.

It hasn't magically reduced kids obesity. That's all I'm saying.

[sharp_stick]

10. You're right it won't make a difference on it's own.

Kids, and the rest of us need to make some pretty major changes in our lives to actually make a mark in the obesity curve but getting rid of junk food in schools is 1 step. If they, and their parents can be taught to eat better we may see an improvement.

[donco6]

13. I agree.

If they wanted to really see a change, let's get families to cut out 1 HOUR a night from in front of the TV. Just 1. You'd see some serious matter to energy conversion.

[kestrel91316]

7. Hey. You got some sort of a PROBLEM with Flamin' Hot Cheetos???

My favorite vice, personally. :evilgrin:

[donco6]

8. Actually, no!

Love 'em. Even if I get that orange crap all over my clothes.

I just have to wonder where this whole school food thing is leading. When a school gets less than $2 per meal for reimbursement, which has to pay not only for the food, but the labor and the equipment costs, and then they want them to prepare some low fat, low carb, not processed, handmade, not frozen, not spoiled, no meat, extra portions, whole grain, no milk, all natural just-picked-from-the-backyard-garden meal - well, it's kinda nutty, IMO.

[devilgrrl]

9. So? Let them bring from home.

At least your tax dollars aren't contributing to it anymore.

:crazy:

[donco6]

14. Huh?

A. I certainly wasn't complaining about tax dollars - if anything we should give far more to school food programs. And

B. Kids will find a way to eat what they want. It's just a fact.

Jeez.

[yngliberal]

4. Are you kidding?

Kids only drink cokes and eat candy at lunch which lasts an average thirty-minutes. Many kids don't like eating the slop they get fed in the cafeteria and I can assure you when schools put in the juice machines, not many kids are going to drink it. The state shouldn't be legislating what a kid can or cannot eat. That is the responsibility of the PARENT.

By the way, you think cafeteria food is healthy? Guess again.

Thank God I am graduating for high school.

[Atman]

15. The state is not legislating what a kid can and cannot eat

It is legislating what a government agency can offer them in liue of healthier choices. Kids can still eat anything they want, and hopefully parents will begin stepping in, too.

Do I think cafeteria food is healthy? No. But, my post didn't say THAT, either. So what you seem to be saying is that since the state is already feeding them crap, they might as well make money for the school band by selling them even MORE crap, crap which, unlike the nasty tacos and mini-pizzas, which do have at least some nutritional value, has been proven to cause all sorts of health problems. :crazy: The school boards may as well be allowed to install cigarette machines next to the soda machines, too.

A can of soda has a brazillion calories of nothingness. Most schools have all but eliminated PE. What do you do most of the day in school? Sit on your ass while taking notes. No exercise, just sitting for 6-8 hours. A typical can of soda contains 200 totally empty calories (HFCS calories are particularly bad, because of the way the stuff is metabolized). It isn't at all unusual for a kid to consume 4 or 5 cans of soda over the course of a day. If you don't believe me, watch teenagers drink the stuff. Or fill up one of those Big Gulp cups, which can contain virtually an entire BOTTLE of soda. The kid has just consumed and entire meal's worth of calories just in soda alone, and his body has gained NOTHING from it, but weight.

It isn't about what kids LIKE to eat. Kids LIKE to do all sorts of shit we otherwise stop them from doing because of their inability to make informed decisions, their maturity, whatever. So what is so bad about taking one terrible choice away from them while they are under the custodial care of a public agency like a school? What's the worst that can happen? They get the message that someone cares about their health?

[donsu]

11. kicking for healthy kids

nt

[LeftHander]

12. I saw an entire train of tanker cars....filled with HFCS

It is in every junk and processed food item made because it is cheap.

Empty calories that make people fat and diabetic.

From WP:

"....which climbed from zero consumption in 1966 to 62.6 pounds per person in 2001."

62 pounds of HFCS per person in 2001!

DISGUSTING!