School district seeks feedback on wellness

PROVO — The good news is that recess for elementary school students in the Provo School District may be guaranteed. The not-so-good news is that soda pop may be limited in vending machines.

Such are the proposals the district is mulling in a new wellness policy. The policy — which includes components for physical activity, nutrition and vending machines — will be available on the district's Web site: www.provo.edu. The public is asked to look at the policy and make suggestions through the Internet.

The Board of Education will vote whether to adopt the policy at next month's meeting.

Under the suggested policy, teachers cannot punish students by withholding recess.

And no more than 40 percent of items in vending machines can be foods of minimal nutritional value under the suggested policy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture identifies soda pop, popsicles that don't contain fruit juice, gum and candies in which the primary ingredient is sugar or corn syrup.

Believe it or not, chocolate is considered somewhat healthful. It avoids classification as a food of minimum nutritional value because it contains milk.

Members of the school board, along with parents and district employees have worked on the policy for more than a year. The federal government has encouraged districts throughout the United States to form wellness policies as childhood obesity reaches epidemic levels.