But at least one lawmaker said if students had higher-quality food coming from the lunchroom, they might not be so quick to head to the vending machine.

"I've had lunch in a lot of my schools in my district and, quite frankly, I've choked it down," said Rep. Paul Ray, R-Syracuse. "I've been served yogurt that's expired."

Over the past several years, the state has tried to invoke several legislative changes in recognition of the childhood obesity problem — the most recent being a measure by Rep. Pat Jones, D-Salt Lake, that would have enacted restrictions on vending machines in elementary schools.

The proposal was shot down, mostly as a result of the furor over the state stripping schools of local control.

While lawmakers seemed receptive to the idea of providing some sort of incentives to schools that adopt healthy changes on their own, meddling in the business of vending machines appeared to remain unpalatable to most.

"I think we make a real mistake if we start focusing on vending machines," said Rep. Bradley Last, R-St. George. "We can take out those machines but a kid can still go home, sit in front of the television and eat potato chips. It doesn't make much difference in the long-term health of that child."

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