“The school system is where you build brand loyalty.”
John Alm, former President, Coca-Cola
Nine out of 10 schools offer junk food to kids.
One of every five calories in the American diet is liquid.
Researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.
The USDA supplies schools with the same commodity foods as prisons
More than 32% of youths are overweight and nearly 74% are unfit.
About 19,000 public schools, 1 in every 5, sell branded food in the cafeteria.
Teenagers’ milk consumption decreased by 36% between 1965 and 1996, while soda consumption increased by more than 200%.
Vending machines are in 43% of elementary schools and 97% of high schools.
Only 29% of adolescents meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control declared obesity the most important public health issue in the United States.
Source: http://parentsagainstjunkfood.org/index.html
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February 8, 2008 at 1:37 am
Our Western diet is so screwed up. The food service that supplies my daughters’ school with lunches is incorporating organic fruits *sometimes*, and has added entree salads, but when you look at the ingredient list of the rest of the lunches, they’re laden with high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, and artificial coloring. No thanks, we’re brown bagging it! (or reusable bagging it, to be eco-friendly!)
February 8, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Good for you! Let us know if you have any ideas for healthy snacks and lunches and we’ll share them with everyone here.