Education Law

The Candy-ban can

BoardBuzz got word through a CNN.com video that a Massachusetts school district has taken a bigger step in fighting childhood obesity. Junk food, including candy, soda, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream and more, are now banned at school and will now be prohibited items in packed school lunches.

Such an action is sure to cause a debate,as it did in the video. Parents are concerned that schools are taking too much responsibility and that parents have the right to choose what items will make it into the lunch box. From the opposing sides, school districts are finding that their current efforts of taking junk food out of vending machines and off cafeteria menus is not having the impact needed to fight childhood obesity.

The video also shares information from a Center for Disease Control survey done on Massachusetts high school students. According to the results:

? 25 percent of students drink one can of soda a day

?11 percent of students are obese.

? 82 percent of students do not take a daily physical education class

BoardBuzz knows that diet and exercise go hand in and hand in and wants to see children living healthy lifestyles. Is this junk food ban going too far? Leave us a comment and let us know how you think schools and parents should fight childhood obesity.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on October 23, 2008 (boomark / email).