Comments about ‘Junk food ban in school vending machines bites the dust’

When Mike Huckabee was governor of Arkansas, he supported legislation banning junk food in school as well as report cards listing a child's body fat index.

Now, even during the holidays, teachers cannot offer treats to their classes, celebrations are forbidden--basically no food allowed in school. At the same time, some children areive and leave school hungry. So much so that groups prepare backpacks with food to be sent home with children for the weekend.

All this, because Mike Huckabee lost 110 pounds while he was governor. Unfortunately, the same was not true for his adult children. Have you ever seen pictures of them?

Of course these schools with these vending machines are going to fight the ban, it's taking money out of their pockets. The money these schools make from vending machines go in the pockets of school administrators and is not put back in to the school funds. Then what good are federal policies if they are not enforced? Just because they wrote them down is not enough to satisfy the laws. Junk food vending and advertising by local retail junk food merchants do not belong in schools. Those diet drinks are a joke and only enforce bad habits and there is plenty of free water available at drinking fountains in the schools. Not to mention the problem of school cleanliness and trash being generated by these junk food and pop machines. Children should learn healthy habits in schools, not enforce bad eating and drinking habits. The issue should remain open and be more enforceful of good health over obesity and unhealthy children. Parents have the right to expect the education system be more concerned about their childs health than vending machine and junk food merchants profits. These merchants have invested in machines, we have an investment in our children.

This is a classic ethical dilemma that I teach in my business class -- do we allow free choice and hope our children make the right decision or do we set some restrictions so that our youth make the right decision until they are mature enough to do so. I won't go through all the ethical models that can be applied to this situation, but the bottom line is this: When children are not mature enough to make the right decision, adults (and those responsible for them, like schools) MUST intervene to make the right choice that is in their best interest and in the best interest for society (obesity hurts society in the form of more illness, health care costs often picked up by taxpayers, lower productivity in the workplace, etc.). Thus, resticting junk food in vending machines in school is a small, but proper step. Otherwise, if you allow junk food, you are on a slippery slope where it should be okay then to offer other tempting but perfectly legal products (e.g., switch knives, condoms, pain medicine) in vending machines and hope children make the right decisions about their consumption.

The vending machine money goes to the administrators according to Bob G. Where is his proof to support this statement? I have never heard of this occuring. The things people will make up just to stir the pot. Do some research Bob before you make such ridiculous accusations. The money in the vending machines, to my knowledge, goes to support school programs such as sports and art programs. If an administrator took it, they would get fired, prosecuted, and sent to jail. Hello, "Brain."

Eating so called junk foods from vending machines, in moderation, does no harm to young students or adults. The problem is when junk foods are eaten to excess. Where will the ban stop? Do we ban junk foods from all stores? How about teacher's eating habits? Will they be allowed to bring junk foods to school for their own consumption? What is the definition of a junk food? Juices, whole wheat bagels, and granola bars, contain much sugar, fat, etc, and can contribute to obesity just as much as junk food.

I believe the main causes of obesity, are a lack of exercise, and general over consumption of food in general, and not just junk food.

Banning vending machine junk food is not the answer.

I like junk food, kids love junk food and apparently the scool districts are addicted to the money junk food adds to their coffers. So whats wrong with junk food? I feel that the real problem with childhood obesity is associated with ignorant parents and kids that want to sit around and play videos instead of being outside playing as we did a generation ago. Why don't we start with taking ninetendos out of these kids homes then require their parents to attend nutrition classes.

If you don't want your child to eat junk food take some responsibility, and don't give them the money to do so. We blame the great people who teach our children for things like our children's health and wellness, obesity, bad behavior, lack of interest in school. I've heard just about everything. Don't expect the school system to raise your child. Take some action, and raise your children. When they take vending out of the schools; the kids will just go to the nearest store and get what they want. Maybe we should close down the nearest Wendy's, McDonalds, 7-11, etc. Just whatever you do don't take away my child's X-box 360, because then I might have to raise my children, and teach them proper eating habits. I can see the headlines already, student arrested for smuggling Mt Dew on school property.

When my kids were of middle and highschool age, we always paid for school lunch tickets. Thought we were being good parents. Later found out the kids were saling their tickets and buying junk food anyway. Finally gave up on it. Today my two kids are construction workers and very pumped up. Not fat at all, but very active. Did not seem to hurt them at all. BUT we did limit very strickly the video cames, and pushed sports, and family hiking etc with the kids. Looked like it did some good. Suggestion then,spend time with kids, take them to sports, hiking the canyons-- being physically active with them.

I don't get it. This is a state that wants to regulate what is taught in the classroom, what clubs schools can offer, what teachers and can't talk about, but when it comes to something we all know is harmful they stick there heads in the sand. Sad.

What is it with people on these forums and their negative view of video games? This topic isn't even about them, and yet several of the comments lump them in an even worse category than the junk food being debated.

Give it up already. Video games can only last so long as society's scapegoat. You say they're making kids fat? I don't buy it. Neither my husband nor I, nor any of my younger siblings are anywhere near obese, and yet we own every gaming platform available. The problem lies with parents who don't lay ground rules, not with the video games themselves.

Lately there's even been a trend toward video games that encourage exercise. Ever heard of Dance Dance Revolution? Wii Sports? The gaming industry isn't the problem here, any more than schools are. Take responsibility for your own children, and stop trying to place the blame where it doesn't belong.

Maybe we don't need rules about vending machines as much as we need to look at what choices the kids have. What's happening in our school cafeterias? When did the cooks stop preparing hot meals in the kitchen and start serving prepackaged foods for lunch as is being done where I live? The kids might as well eat from a vending machine. We constantly need to examine how well we are doing for our children--stop making excuses and do what's best for them.

I think we should have our vending machines back at our school because the food at this school be nasty that they have for lunch so let us get our vending machines back thanks.

People need to band mashines from schools and work places. I mean sure we all like to eat it. We can every once and a while but not all the time. Thats when adults and kids get obise. They should replace thenm with other mashines like frute or vedgtable mashines.<<< Much healthier. Dont cha think? What do u think???

i care i am a fatso any way i love junk food my whole family is super fat and all have breast

our school shouldnt take out our vending machines but they should take the junk food out and take the soda out because its way bad for u and who cares if ur fat i dont i love all gods creatures...lol...... and im chunky i want to lose weight but those delicious snack foods keep me from it some states dont feed obese people (not me) because they want them to eat way helthier and besides if you want to get fat do it off campus we try and encourage all of our sevies to have water instead of red vault or have pears instead of a twix. yes ther delicous i can tell you that but if america is complaning about how our teens these days are getting mor and more obese than they should do something about it :)

i love eating junk food. but i'm not over weighted. thats why you EXERSICE!!!!!

Well i think that they should ban Vending Machine because there a lot of fat children in my school and they bang on the vending machine like they don't care about school property . They are so horny to get there junk food it so depressing they hangout all day there .

Thank YOU For The Information .

I think that all school food is nasty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sucks all smart people are ignored but then again we are living in a world were inferior people have taken over and only want *control* using every excuse available.

Banning Junk Food? HELL NO! Anybody who agrees is a control freak and I don't blame their kids for going to the market while skipping class.

News Flash: 2 students arrested in a conspiracy plot to sneak junk food in Salt Lake High:


Two students whose names weren't released were arrested in Health Ed when the teachers noticed their bodies fatter over a period of time and while questioning them the teacher spotted a recess peanut butter cup in Student A's body.

Student A was held by the School Security Cheif until local police cited him and Student B was suspended for 5 school days.

Security has been beefed up to prevent more incidents to signal it's not okay to break school rules.

All kids who appear obese will go thru a shake-down at the school entrances/exits.

Student B after *questioning* reveled a conspiracy plot to smuggle food at least twice a week which will harm the *school body union*.
*Mondays and Fridays*