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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2012)
August is. 2012 ______________ jport Lutò (Dbseruer Page s H ealth A student purchases a brown sugar Pop-Tart from a vending machine in the hallway outside the school cafeteria, in Wichita, Kan. A new study says that laws governing the sale o f ju n k food and drinks in public schools may help curb childhood obesity. Junk Food Bans in Schools Working Regulations improving childhood weights more likely to reach a healthy weight the nutrition center at Children's ing fifth grade and soon to enter outside of mealtime. Laws were con by eighth grade if they lived in states Hospital of Philadelphia. Stallings middle school, and in 2007, during sidered strong if they included spe with the strongest laws. chaired an Institute of Medicine panel the spring of eighth grade. cific nutrition requirements, such as The effects weren't huge, and the that urged standards for making snack The researchers also examined limits on sugar and fats. Laws were study isn't proof that the laws influ foods and drinks sold in schools several databases of state laws on rated weak if the requirements were enced kids' weight. But the results more healthful but was not involved school nutrition during the same time. vague and merely urged sales of raised optimism among obesity re in the new research. The states were not identified in the "healthy" food without specifics. searchers and public health experts The authors of the study, re study because of database license The results show that for these (AP) — Laws strictly curbing who generally applaud strong laws leased online Monday in the journal restrictions that protect the students' laws to be effective, they need to be school sales of junk food and sweet to get junk food out of schools. Pediatrics, analyzed data on 6,300 confidentiality, the authors said. consistently strong in all grades, ened drinks may play a role in slow "This is the first real evidence that students in 40 states. Their heights The laws governed food and said lead author Daniel Taber, a ing childhood obesity, according to the laws are likely to have an impact," and weights were m easured in drinks sold in public school vend health policy researcher at the Uni a study that seems to offer the first said Dr. Virginia Stallings, director of spring 2004, when they were finish ing machines and school stores. versity of Illinois at Chicago. evidence such efforts could pay off. The results come from the first large national look at the effective ness of the state laws over time. They are not a slam-dunk, and even obesity experts who praised the A CENTER OF study acknowledge the measures EXCELLENCE FOR are a political hot potato, smacking WOMEN THROUGHOUT of a "nanny state" and opposed by ALL STAGES OF LIFE. industry and cash-strapped schools relying on food processors' money. But if the laws have even a tiny effect, "what are the downsides of improving the food environment for children today?" asked Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Harvard Medical School and Bos ton Children's Hospital. "You can’t get much worse than it already is." Children in the study gained less weight from fifth through eighth grades if they lived in states with strong, consistent laws versus no laws governing snacks available in schools. For example, kids who were WOMEN’S HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATES lu : 5 feet tall and 100 pounds gained on RACK ROW IAMFSF STFMPFt. MD | USA K JOHNSON MO | GREGORY M FILERS.MD| SIDNEY J PRESCOTT, JR ,M D | LISA L DIEPENHORST, MO average 2.2 fewer pounds if they w w w .w h a llc .c o n i FRONTROW AMY I SCHMtTKF M l) i R if HARO N HAMILTON MO | THOMAS O H A T H M D ,M O |JA IM £ E .KFA N M D lived in states with strong laws in EASTBANK TABOR Same great people, great new name. the three years studied. SOI N.GRAHAM, 5050 HOYT STREET, Make an appointment and come by to see SUITE 525 SUITE 359 Also, children who were over PORTLAND, OR 97227 PORTLAND, OR 97213 us in our Eastbank office and Tabor office. weight or obese in fifth grade were PHONE: (503) 249-5454 PHONE: (503) 249-5454 r
