Schwarzenegger Wants Ban on School Junk Food Sales

[Guest]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,149568,00.html

Schwarzenegger Wants Ban on School Junk Food Sales

Sunday, March 06, 2005

COLUMBUS, Ohio  At the bodybuilding event named for him, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) said Sunday that he wants to ban all sales of junk food in California schools and fill vending machines with fresh fruits, vegetables and milk.

Schwarzenegger's comments came during a question-and-answer session with fans, when a questioner asked how he plans to combat youth obesity.

"First of all, we in California this year are introducing legislation that would ban all the sale of junk food in the schools," Schwarzenegger said.

Aides said later that the governor supports a bill by Democratic state Sen. Martha Escutia (search) that would ban soft drinks at public schools, and that the administration hopes to develop a more comprehensive legislative package dealing with snack foods.

"I wouldn't say we're going to ban all" junk food, Schwarzenegger Chief of Staff Pat Clarey (search) said. "We just are looking at additional bills that will deal with snack food at high schools ... we're looking for healthy snacks."

Topics at the annual question session ranged from fitness to whether he wants to be president if the Constitution is amended to allow foreign-born citizens to run. As in the past, he said he's focused on governing California.

"I'm not saying no I'm not interested in it, but I'm not concentrating on it," he said.

At the men's bodybuilding finals the night before, Schwarzenegger had called on bodybuilding to get rid of steroids. He got one question on the topic Sunday from a sixth-grader.

The girl asked the governor to explain why he's said he doesn't regret his own past steroid use. Schwarzenegger reiterated that at the time he took the drugs they were new to the market and weren't illegal.

People shouldn't take steroids now  "A, they are harmful for the body, and B, they are illegal," he said.

Many of the questions were detailed queries about workout routines. Schwarzenegger discoursed knowledgeably on how best to improve the deltoid muscles  numerous repetitions, tailored to the three separate deltoid muscle groups, front, middle, and back.

Schwarzenegger said doctors banned him from heavy lifting after his heart surgery in 1997, but he still does 30 to 45 minutes of cardio each day and lifts weights about four days a week.

At one point, Schwarzenegger delivered what amounted to a motivational lecture after a questioner betrayed some discouragement about his own fitness potential. Schwarzenegger told him to visualize his goal, never lose sight of the vision and work toward it.

"As you know, I'm a big believer in the mind," Schwarzenegger said. "Just be positive, and kick some butt."

[Chas]

I'm not sure a 'ban' is the thing to do. However, having said that, I believe that the schools should not be in the business of making money off of junk food. Perhaps going to healthy alternatives, as he stated on Hannity last night would be the way to go. Also, at my boys prior high school, they wouldn't let him even bring his own soda for lunch. Ticked me off that they would be so intrusive but that's the way of things... it just doesn't seem right.

[Guest]

My thoughts if you will:

-What good will banning "really" do?  

The reality is the vending folks pay monies to schools , hopitals and such to have their product vended.  I used to work for a hopital , IIRC something like $2 million pushed across the table if this hospital stocked and sold only "that" soda company's product. We employees could be ( and some were) written up for public display of the competing products.

-What happened to Adults taking the responsibility to teach kids?  I 'thought"  kids were supposed to be educated in the home about eating, excercise and such.  Growing up, we had fruits and veggies - we would snag something and  go back to play. We would snag stuff from the neighbors and they did my house - many a "picnic"  taking a break from playing. Oh - and how many times did I get hollered at for being supper time. " Just one more pass, one more time at bat, one more race to the corner on my bike...".

-I attend College, I have a backpack and vehicle. Sure I get a Soda, candy or whatever. I can and do take fruit with me. Fruit is available for me to buy at the Snack bar. When I attended a larger school, the Cafe had Salad Bars. During finals - Fruit and Juice were avail for the taking in most bldgs.

-Now it bugs me most kids don't have lockers as I did attending school . These smaller kids and the weight of books is just too much. Back and neck problems arise.  If they had lockers - apples and bananna could be kept in them. As Could a Brown bag lunch like I did.

-Not to mention those 'see through" backpacks are not very strong. Besides not being able to carry all that weight, females have to be concerned about being embarassed with thier spl needs.  I know one young lady that became really embarassed when her backpack just broke.  It was not the apple that rolled across the room either.

-Part of what is wrong today with folks is all this banning.  This teaches a certain mindset, attitude if you will.  Even the kids with parents teaching the kids good eating habits and that do play hard - are victims of the bans.

"Say kid, wanna buy a Snickers?"  < guy on edge of school property, wearing a long coat>

[doczinn]

The government shouldn't be in the business of feeding the kids anyway, but since they are they might as well make it healthy food.

[Greg L]

One problem (among many) is that the machines aren't set up for fresh food.  Perhaps you could retrofit a Coke machine to take milk cartons (assuming that Coke/Pepsi is even willing to give you a machine now that their products won't be in it).  How long has that apple been sitting in the machine?  What's the shelf life on celery sticks?  I'm not saying that it can't be done but that the costs are going to go WAY up (the above plus more labor for more frequent servicing).

It probably is too much to expect/demand better parenting .

[Guest]

How is it bad parenting to expect the schools not to make money by selling your kids garbage you wouldn't feed them at home?

[Guest]

Barbara -

It is not about bad parenting. I didn't mean to imply that it was.   Granted some Parents do a better job of taking responibility of teaching kids than others.

Kids are kids.  I admit I thought some the stuff my parents/ adults taught me was dumb - I get older and still wonder when they had time to attend night school - parents and adults were not that dumb - afterall. *grin*

 Schools are going to make money  off vending machines just as they are the bookstore.  The hospital had vending machines with fruit, veggies, milk, soups, juices....even salads, fruit salads, vegetable medly's with dip.

The Cafe closed after the supper hour, re-opened at 12:30 am until 3:am for we folks working graveyard, and families staying the night.  At 4:00 am ( for instance - heck anytime of day) one could at least eat something - healthy or not THEIR Choice. MY Choice.  I just couldn't buy Coke Product. *grin*  If you were not an employee that "rule" didn't apply.

I don't see where a Ban is going to do any good. Instead may cause some rebellion - I know - kids never rebel about what parents or adults tell them. *grin*.

Free Market, Free Will, making repsonsible choices....kids are going learn.    Make the more healthy foods and drinks available.  If a kid gets all out of sorts on junk food only - well perhaps the kid will figure out a bananna and orange juice is better for when blood surgar drops.

Kid might 'educate' the parents and doctors " you know guys, when your blood surgar is out of whack, can't concentrate, and have an exam next class period - eating a bananna and drinking orange juice is better for you than a Soda and candy bar".

I mean someone has to educate Parents, Adults, and Doctors - right?  *wink*

[nico]

I'm not sure if I agree with a ban (in the sense that a child wouldn't be allowed to bring whatever lunch their parents saw fit to give htem), but I think it would be a good policy for schools to stop making these deals with junk food companies.  When there are 20 vending machines right outside the cafeteria and a soda can be purchased for $.75, the parents don't have a say on what their children are eating at school.  Obviously, a parent can't keep their children from ever eating junk food (and I think it's kinda dumb to dry), but that doesn't mean schools should encourage them to eat junk food.  Especially when they turn around and start wringing their hands over children being out of shape.

[jefnvk]

I ate junk food and fast food and drank pop every day through middle school and high school.  I'm not overweight.

I'm no dietician, but I would assume it is not the food alone and by itself causing the overweightness.

[nico]

jef, diet greatly contributes to one's health, as does natural metabolism and level of physical activity.  Just because one person has a fast enough metabolism that they can eat whatever they want without getting fat doesn't mean that's the norm or that they're healthy.

I know a guy who couldn't put on 5 lbs to save his life.  He's at about 3% bodyfat and could eat a whole large pizza every day without that changing.  If the vast majority of people did that, they'd become obese pretty quickly.

[jamz]

I don't see it as a ban.  Bans, in general, Just Don't Work.  This is more of a restriction of sales.  (jamz awaits the forthcomng splitting of hairs vis-a-vis ban vs sales restriction)

Having seen what's on the menus of a lot of public schools, I'm astonished at the low level of health that the schools are offering.  It's personally disgusting to me.  Sure, there was a school store that sold candy bars, but you sure as hell couldn't get away with a lunch that consisted of coke, doritos and a brownie.



Love, James

[Sharpie613]

They can restrict "fatty" foods until they are blue in the face. Great, it will work about as well as everything else in this accursed state. Children will not magically turn into healthy eaters just because the vending machine stocks celery instead of potato chips. Kids just won't buy that stuff and the school will be out that additional bit of money when the celery rots in the machine. Kids will bring stuff from home, sneak to the 7-11 across the street, anything before they eat what they are "told" to eat.

Every year, my school has a fundraising drive for the needy families/homeless/what-have-you in the area. Every spring, they would sell ice cream sandwiches to help raise money. They can't do that this year though, because this is already unofficial policy. They get to sell little baggies with pencils. The emails are already going around the staff asking for out-and-out donations because no children want to buy pencils instead of an ice cream sandwich.

If Governor Schwarten....Swarchen...Arnold really wants to help with obesity, maybe he should look at kids who have 30 minutes of PE/gym once a week.

[45r]

I dont have a problem with Arny taking junk food out of school system. Obesity is an increasing epidemic among children. At such young age, this leads to an ealier onset of heart disease, othropedic problems, diabetes etc. Cost of health care is rising and P.E. requirements at the high school levels are getting cut.  Its not like the kids can't get the stuff outside of school if they want to eat it.

[Standing Wolf]

First the .50 caliber ban. Now the so-called "junk food" ban. How long before the People's Republic of California bans meat, say, or .22 long rifle ammunition, or hand guns?

You sure can count on those Republicans, can't you?

[nico]

Standing Wolf, they're not talking about banning junk food, they're talking about not selling it in public schools.  There's a pretty significant difference.

[Sharpie613]

Don't forget the windshield wiper/headlight law and the medium rare hamburger law(kind of a meat ban, in a roundabout way), both solutions to problems nobody posed. I'm just glad they solved all the other problems in the state first. They refuse to educate the kids worth a darn, but at least they are eating healthy. Maybe the extra boost to the immune and circulatory systems will assist in the continued repetition of the phrase "Would you like fries with that?"

[Wildalaska]

Whe I was in school, ya didnt have snacks. Ya brought yer lunch or ate the crap that the old ladies made in the cafeteria (jello squares, remmeber jello squares)..that was it......

Ya didnt have vending machines, or muchies, or tea time, or lessons in self esteem. Sex Ed was where the Coach took Sophmores into the Locker Room and showed ya left over WW2 VD flicks. If you were weak or different, ya got bullied and if ya complained, they told ya to grow up and fight back. No one killed themself, or went into school and shot the place up. We said the Pledge of Allegience and had a moment of silence. We had air raid drills (like it would have made a diff if the Russkies popped a nuke), especially during the Cuban Missle Crisis. we memorized stuff instead of learning to "think".  We either took Spanish, German or Latin. Teachers wacked ya once in a while.  We didnt have Balck History day, lesbian cowboy day, Puerto Rican  Commerative Day, Chinese New Year and so on...we just had school. We sang Christmas Carols and had Christmas Trees and said Merry Christmas, and even us Jewish Kids particiapted without trauma.

Most of us grew up and got jobs and produced somehting.

So Ahnie...better idea..scratch the healthy snacks...take the vending machines out and fire some teachers and administrators

WildthegoodolddaysAlaska

[S_O_Laban]

Pretty much what Ken said..... except for the nuke raid stuff....here in Missouri is was and still is tornado drills.

[Feanaro]

As a former fat-body whose still has melees with the beast in his belly, I don't think such measures will help. Being fat, with the exception of a few people with odd metabolisms, isn't caused by one fatty snack. Or even several, though they really don't help. A few kids might, just maybe, slim up if the snacks in school are removed. But being fat is a lifestyle problem. Too much food of the wrong type combined with too little excersize. It's a consistent lack of respect for your body. Take away the nasty snacks in school and fatties will stay fat until they are motivated to eat right ALL the time(Most of the time, anyways) and move around a little.

You want the little kids to be thinner you can teach them nutrition and start some real PE classes. Otherwise this is no better than trying to stop up a leaking dam with a handkerchief. It's a way to appease people without fixing anything.