Is the Government Going to Ban Junk Food in Schools?

The Institute of Medicine released a report on Wednesday that revealed teens in the U.S. are eating more junk food than ever before. According to the data, roughly $2.2 billion was spent on junk food at schools, which led in part to the recommendation by the Institute to ban junk food from being sold on school property. Among other health concerns is the belief that this glut of sugary, salty, fatty food is leading to more youth obesity than ever before.

The report reveals that 98 percent of high schools offer junk food, either via vending machines or a snack bar. And unlike school meal programs, which are regulated by the federal government, snack bar and vending machine sales are completely unregulated.

In addition to suggesting a ban on junk food, the Institute of Medicine's report goes on to give recommendations as to what exactly should be sold on school grounds. For one, replacement snacks should be low in sugar, fat and salt. In addition, the healthy snacks sold should have no trans fats and should have less than 200 calories. Examples of allowable snacks would be fruits such as apples and pears, whole-grain minibagels and whole grain crackers, as long as they are low in salt.

Even Gatorade is not allowed, according to the report's guidelines, at least not for "regular" students. The Institute recommends that only athletes who have been "vigorously exercising" for more than 60 minutes be allowed to drink it. As well, drinks with artificial sweeteners would not be allowed to be given or sold to elementary and middle schools as the effects of Equal and Splenda are not yet known. While drinks with those artificial sweeteners could be drunk by high school students, water and milk are more highly recommended.

The 15-person panel was headed up by Dr. Virginia Stallings, of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Because foods and beverages available on the school campus also make up a significant proportion of the daily calorie intake, they should contribute to a healthy diet," Stallings told reporters. "And school campuses should be an overall healthy eating environment."