Calif. Gov. Signs Ban on School Junk Food
Sep 15 10:48 PM US/Eastern


By TOM CHORNEAU
Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif

The food served in California schools will be healthier starting next fall under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The new laws impose a campus ban on the sale of sodas, set a new nutritional standard for vending-machine snacks, and require more fruits and vegetables in meal planning.

The former bodybuilding champion and fitness expert said the new rules are all part of a new effort to fight childhood obesity.

"California is facing an obesity epidemic," Schwarzenegger said at a conference on childhood obesity. "And more and more, children are becoming part of the problem."

Lawmakers made California the first state in the nation to ban the sale of soft drinks in middle and elementary schools two years ago. One of the bills signed by the governor Thursday will expand that ban to include high schools.

Beginning next July, students will be allowed to buy only water, milk, and some fruit and sport drinks that have limited sweeteners.

The governor also signed a bill that will raise nutritional standards for foods sold in school vending machines and regulate the number of calories that can come from fat and sugar. It also takes effect next July.

Another bill provides $18.2 million during this fiscal year to offer more fruits and vegetables in school meal programs.

The California bills set a new standard nationally for healthy school foods, according to the Washington D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"Coke, Pepsi and other junk-food marketers enjoy being in schools because they know it is one of the only places they can target kids without parental interference," said Margo Wootan, the center's nutritional policy director said in a statement.

"But in California, parents have clearly had enough, and leaders of both parties took notice," she said.

Susan Neely, president of the American Beverage Association, called the ban on sodas "unnecessary" and said that students and parents would have been better served by a voluntary program.

"We believe this complex problem would be more effectively addressed by educating students on the importance of living a balanced lifestyle," Neely said in a statement.


This is a HUGE screw up in my eyes. I'm tired of people in the government trying to take the parents place in kid's lives. I hope this gets overturned somehow. I'm just surprised it came from a "republican".

movie star was bound to screw up at some time LOL

Oh I don't know...Nazi roots, totalitarian views...why would this be a screw up?

lol

hey have no clue dad has a house there and i know he did nto vote for him man

I have always had trouble taking someone seriouse when i would eat popcorna nd lough at him LOL

Seems to me that this is what the people wanted. After all the LEGISLATURE passed the bill before Ah-nold signed it.

Funny how soda banning from schools gets people all up in arms. Where is the outrage over the pledge of allegiance or prayer being banned? Looks like priorities are screwed up more than the governor is.

stupid ppl you ever hear you get what you pay for LOL

Seems to me that this is what the people wanted. After all the LEGISLATURE passed the bill before Ah-nold signed it.

Funny how soda banning from schools gets people all up in arms. Where is the outrage over the pledge of allegiance or prayer being banned? Looks like priorities are screwed up more than the governor is.

Wow...I'm impressed...going after one of your own (apologies to MAllen) for a change ...how nice of you.

So, is the world you live in completely black and white with no room for interpretation or do you accept that there are other views than your own?

Wow...I'm impressed...going after one of your own (apologies to MAllen) for a change ...how nice of you.

So, is the world you live in completely black and white with no room for interpretation or do you accept that there are other views than your own?

"DEE DEE DEE"

There you go again, espousing the Fiberal philosophy that every disagreement must be an attack on someone. Talk about living in a black and white world. I guess you must be projecting your views onto me.

Does everything in your world have to be either love or hate? Or is there any room for friendly disagreement?

They took the soda machines out of my kids elementary school. And I was all for it. I'm also all for parents being in control. If they don't like the fact that a healthy lunch will be served in the cafeteria, they can pack an unhealthy, junk food, "super size me" lunch and send it with their child, along with a can of pop.

i dont agree with it come on leave the soda machines maybe dont serve regular soda or put a limit on how many ina dday they can get but come on that just not right to take away all of it

Kbob, I agree whole-heartedly.
My kids don't drink ridiculous anounts of soda and eat nothing but chips and junk for lunch on the weekends at home, and I don't want them doing it at school.California is not the govrnment trying to be parents, but rather the government finally LISTENING to parents.Lunch needs to be lunch, if they want a snack and a soda, they can have one when they get home, under the watchful eye of parents who can monitor what they're eating.
Allowing kids to scarf down crap at school all day also makes it harder to get them to eat right at home.

well im not saying that they shoudl eat junk food for lunch im just saying leave the soda machina and let them get some chips for a snack or somthing like that man

Several years ago my oldest daughter (who is now 16) had a real problem with junk food. If we had junk food (especially sweets) in the house, like cookies, little debbie snack cakes, candy bars, she would eat it when we weren't looking. I threatened her a lot and she was punished a lot for eating all the junk food in a couple of days. But in the end, the temptation of having it around was just too much for her. She was pudgy, slightly overweight, moderately inactive, and a little on the sickly side ("I don't feel good" stuff). I was afraid that she would become obese if I didn't do something about it. So one day I just stopped buying those things. I also stopped buying pop. And when we went out to eat, everyone gets water to drink (that also saves a lot of $). Just stopping the soda is worth 100 to 500 or more calories a day. That is just stored as fat in the body. I'm happy to say that today my oldest daughter is normal weight, moderately active, and healthy.

well some kids need to be montored but come on dont take it away for the ones that are responsisble man that not right to make them all suffer for a few bad eggs

I drink the diet versions of Pepsi Lime and Vanilla Pepsi and I don't miss the sugar one bit.

well some kids need to be montored but come on dont take it away for the ones that are responsisble man that not right to make them all suffer for a few bad eggsSuffer? Are you kidding me? It's Coke and Pepsi that's suffering, not the kids.

what ever if the kids want to drink a little bit of that let them man

I think this is a good (as I sit hear with a coke on my desk)
Fuynny how I worked for Frito Lay (pepsiCo) but soda is a major problem

and Pepsi and Coke paid big money about 5 years a go to get it in schools

I feel better knowing that the $3 I give my kid for lunch is going for corn syrup and enriched corn meal...... I want them to eat the carboard box like pizza like I did.

I remember eating that cardboard pizza stuff when i was in grade school, as for taking the soda machines out of the schools i am all for it.

I think vending machines in schools just provide another opportunity to separate the classes, not to mention opening the door for the proliferation of WMD (weight managment disease). Keep the playing field level. Make the kids have to sneak out of school to go across the street to buy candy and pop like I did. Builds character.
:Beer

hey when i was in school we snuck out to wendy across the street and rich probly when to DQ lol

I'm am so impressed with you guys, you have obviously given much thought to this and came up with the right conclusion.

There are several issues involved with this decision,
the money schools get for having it there
the parents not having control
the kids wanting it
most importantly is the uncontrollable spread of child diabetes and obesity.

We grow, we learn, we know the long term effects of poor eating health habits, even though a 15 year old will tell you daily they know everything, they really don't. That is why decisions like these are very important.

OK I CAN SAY IT NOW, I COULDN'T BUY SODA IN SCHOOL! WHY SHOULD THEY! LOL!


I also think that it should be country wide illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be talking or using an electronic appliance while driving, with a Zero Tolerance law that upon the 1st offense their licensee will be held till they are 18.

MsM

i some what agree with that sezo tolerance law and drivingiing stuff i agree totaly wiht debi
but hey id a kid want a soda then let him buy 1 soda a day you know if they whant it there are gona get it in school or out so why make some not liagle if they are gona do it anyways

let em bring wrapped in friggin alum foil like we had to when we were allowed, usually that was only on field trips, oh yeah ARE YOU SITTING DOWN: we all didnt stop at McDonalds either, we packed our lunch for field trips - The horror of it, maybe I should sue the school!

Get over it.....

well i dont agree in mcdonaled personaly im not a fan of all that fast food only a few places ill eat from like wendys and only if its the chiken grilled or a salade and subways but not all there stuff i dont like fast food man not healty

I understand all of your arguments, but I still disagree. Look, if you don't want your kid drinking the shiat, which I wouldn't want my kid drinking either anyways, then don't give them money. But why does it take the State to get your fat a$$ kid to get in shape. I grew up eating Special K for breakfast, and when we had cookies in the house (maybe once or twice a year) they lasted forever becasue we were so used to not eating all that stuff. I'm not too crazy, like into whole foods and stuff, but I drink maybe one diet coke a week, and I never eat fast food unless I'm on a long drive out of state. I just don't see the point of not allowing kids to buy the stuff in school. When you are that young, what you eat isn't as important as how active you are. Seems to me that they should just add more PE in school. Or maybe just teach your own kids self control, and it won't be as tempting for them to eat that crap. And of course I get outraged at the Pledge thing, I was in that forum discussing that as well.

i just say they will get it if we let them or not so atleast try and monitor it a little you know

Yeah, we all know what everyone's opinion is. Stating the same thing over and over is pointless. Unless there's more relevant information being added, enough already.

Get the vending machines out of schools. What kids eat is important. Down-playing that fact is ridiculous. And parents can monitor their kids junk food intake at home.

i some what agree with that sezo tolerance law and drivingiing stuff i agree totaly wiht debi
but hey id a kid want a soda then let him buy 1 soda a day you know if they whant it there are gona get it in school or out so why make some not liagle if they are gona do it anyways


???

I'm am so impressed with you guys, you have obviously given much thought to this and came up with the right conclusion.

There are several issues involved with this decision,
the money schools get for having it there
the parents not having control
the kids wanting it
most importantly is the uncontrollable spread of child diabetes and obesity.

We grow, we learn, we know the long term effects of poor eating health habits, even though a 15 year old will tell you daily they know everything, they really don't. That is why decisions like these are very important.

OK I CAN SAY IT NOW, I COULDN'T BUY SODA IN SCHOOL! WHY SHOULD THEY! LOL!


I also think that it should be country wide illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be talking or using an electronic appliance while driving, with a Zero Tolerance law that upon the 1st offense their licensee will be held till they are 18.

MsM

I would like to add one issue, if I may...

The parents WANT THIS!

well they voted for it man
and i think its a screw up

well they voted for it man
and i think its a screw upAnd I think you're wrong.