Junk Food Unwelcome in Canadian Schools, Eh?

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-01-22 20:31:00 UTC
Topics:

In the land where maple syrup pours from trees, a new law in Ontario will take junk food off the cafeteria menu.

As Katherine reports on our Sustainable Food blog, Ontario noticed that the young 'uns were getting past cute pudgy -- after all, they need some buffer fat to keep warm against that Canadian cold -- to an unhealthy overweight or obese state. To save the children, they told soda and candy manufacturers to peddle their tempting wares elsewhere.

Kids can say good-bye to deep-fried sticks of potato (also known as French fries), candy, and "pop," which schools will no longer be able to sell. The Health Food for Schools Act also requires 20 minutes of physical activity a day -- this while U.S. schools are doing away with recess.

But, oh children of America, never fear: your collective sweet tooth is safe. High-fructose corn syrup remains on the menu in most public schools across the country, so that one in three children can retain their overweight or obese figures. Unfortunately, while it's healthy to have a little meat on your bones, being overweight is tied in with a number of health risks, including asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. And, of course, overweight or not, a diet high in sugar and grease isn't best for anybody's overall well-being.

Once again, when it comes to health, it'd pay off for us to take some pointers from our neighbors up north.

Photo credit: colros

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
PREVIOUS STORY:
Toxic Schools: Does Yours Make the List?
NEXT STORY:
Student loans got you down? Start a petition.

COMMENTS (4)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.