Obama Administration to Tackle School Vending Machines

With childhood obesity reaching all-time highs, the government has tackled the school’s hot lunch, and is now after its next big culprit: The vending machines.
Since children receive 19 to 50 percent of their food while at school, the Obama Administration plans to set rules for what can and can’t be sold in the vending machine. These guidelines will likely be released in the next few weeks.
One in five children is overweight. Since statics such as this have tripled in the past 30 years, nutritionists say that vending machines, supplied with potato chips, cookies and soda, may contribute to the obesity epidemic.
Representatives from the food and beverage industries say that many of their snacks are healthy and should not be banned. They say they support vending snacks that are in good nutrition.
“But we are a little concerned that they might make the rules too stringent,” James A. McCarthy said, president of the Snack Food Association, a trade group in Washington.
Nancy Huehnergarth, executive director of the New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance in Millwood, N.Y., said she predicts the representatives from the food and beverage industries will do more than just take a stance on the new regulations.
“I think the food and beverage industry is going to fight tooth and nail over these rules,” Huehnergarth said.
There’s also concern that these new rules would prohibit the use of candy sold for fundraisers, which provides revenue for schools’ sport, music and art programs.
What do you think? Is the Obama Administration going too far, or is the obesity epidemic a larger cause for concern? Comment below to let us know where you stand.
Via The New York Times
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