Harkin pushes for healthy food in schools

Sen. Tom Harkin is among a bipartisan group in Washington supporting a bill that would require public schools to stop serving high-fat, high-sugar foods in public schools.

The new bill would require that all food sold on school premises meet the new higher standards for nutrion, this would include cafeterias, vending machines, school stores and snack bars. Currently, health standards only apply to food served in the cafeterias.

The measure, which has strong bipartisan support in both houses, would do on a national level what many school districts have been trying to do for years: require that the schools set an example by providing only healthful food and so perhaps reduce the incidence of childhood obesity.

Despite high levels support, this bill is facing the usual criticism that schools will not be able to recoup the loss of revenue from not being able to sell candy bars, soda, and other such foods. It is also expected that the soft drink industry and others will work hard to weaken the bill.

Maybe Coca-Cola can get them to make high-fructose corn syrup part of the food pyramid and then they wouldn’t have those nasty politicians slandering the reputation of their products–wait, surely you’re not suggesting that obese children shouldn’t be imbibing soft drinks!

Who knows, with record levels of obesity in the United States, maybe Harkin will finally get what he has been working for since 1994.

Add comment April 7th, 2006