Ill: Junk food ban may get wider - Gov nudges state schools to cut more fatty snacks

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Teaching a healthy diet, such a tuff battle.

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Junk food ban may get wider

Blagojevich nudges state schools to cut more fatty snacks

By Jodi S. Cohen

Tribune higher education reporter

December 16, 2005

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0512160317dec16,1,7168422.story

At the urging of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois State Board of

Education took the first step Thursday to further limit junk food and

soda in the state's elementary and middle schools.

The board voted 6-2 to invite public comment on a proposal that would

prohibit sale during the school day of snacks with too many calories or

too much fat or sugar. The amendments also would ban carbonated drinks,

some juice drinks, milk that isn't low-fat and flavored water.

After a 45-day public comment period, the board likely will vote on the

issue in March. If approved, new regulations would begin in the 2006-07

school year. Board members Dean and Joyce Karon voted against the

measure, arguing that decisions about food sales should be made at the

local level.

The limits would not apply to high schools, although Blagojevich said he

hopes that will happen in the future.

" If all goes well, [we will] be able to come back, show the success in

how this is improving the nutrition and health of children and then go

to the high schools as well, " Blagojevich said.

The board's decision appeared to be a done deal hours before the vote.

Blagojevich issued a news release around noon stating that the

board--controlled by his appointees--had approved the motion. He was

unable to get lawmakers to approve a ban in 2003 after there was concern

about the financial impact of reducing vending machine revenue.

State rules already prohibit the sale of junk food in elementary schools

during breakfast and lunch, but the rules do not apply to the entire

school day or to middle schools. Now, the rules are based on certain

types of food, such as cookies and candy, but the new focus will be on

the food's nutritional content.

One of the proposed guidelines states that food would not be allowed if

it has more than 200 calories when sold in an individual package. That

means that a small bag of baked Cheetos could be sold but Gatorade or

whole milk could not.

But Blagojevich suggested using " common sense " in addition to the

nutritional guidelines.

" I would ask you to take the American Heart Association guidelines and

then kind of add something to it, " he said. " We should not allow potato

chips in school vending machines. We should not allow Cheetos in school

vending machines. In short, we should have some common sense discussions

as well. "

Public discussion began even before the board voted.

Sharon Nichols, director of food services for the Valley View School

District in Bolingbrook, balked at the regulations, saying students have

" different nutritional and caloric needs. "

Nichols also said the new guidelines would be " unnecessarily

restrictive " and could apply to yogurt smoothies, baked chips, cereal

bars, granola bars and taco salads.

But school board officials said the calorie restriction only applies to

foods prepackaged by the manufacturer.

" Not every bag of baked chips would be restricted, but some would

depending on the size of the bag, " said state board general counsel

Furr. " Some yogurts might be, but we have to look at each

separate item. "

Sawyer, a registered dietitian who works on pediatric weight

management, applauded the board's focus on nutrition.

" The school environment is key in establishing healthy behaviors, " she

said. " I am very excited about the possibility of healthier food choices

being available to our children while in school. "

Ruiz, chairman of the state board of education, didn't rule out

the possibility that the rules eventually could be extended to high schools.

" We are focusing on the ages where we may still have some impact in

changing the behaviors, " he said. " Well see how it works at the

elementary school level and if there are things we can model in other

grades, like the high school grades, we'll look at that. "

Board members seemed less concerned about their own eating habits.

Refreshments at the meeting included high-calorie croissants and

cookies, water and coffee.

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