The question of whether schools and districts should play a role in battling childhood obesity has been prevalent in the news lately. Last week, the New York Times highlighted new citywide regulations on baked goods (among the strictest in the nation, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and yesterday, it ran an article on new regulations for vending machines in schools. A new report from the CDC indicates that in 2008, fewer schools sold soda or sugary fruit drinks or sold candy and "fatty" snacks than in 2006, suggesting that significant headway is being made in the childhood obesity battle (especially by states like Mississippi and Tennessee).
And on the flipside, Core Knowledge posted an interesting blog about a mother in upstate New York who is fighting a school policy that actually prohibits her son from riding his bike to and from school.
The New York Times article also makes a point that's worth noting - there's a correlation between student health and performance on standardized tests.?? Since schools and states are the ones being held accountable for student performance, will more of them start regulating things that affect student learning conditions?
In the Buckeye State, the answer is - not yet. Ohio has yet to join the ranks of states that have implemented regulations on bake sales and vending machines, passed laws requiring children to be weighed in schools, or set healthier standards for school lunches than federal law requires.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
