Ontario Bans Junk Food in Schools

by Katherine Gustafson · 2010-01-22 10:00:00 UTC
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As of September 2011, the provincial government of Ontario, Canada, will prohibit schools from making soda, candy and French fries available to students, according to the National Post.

"Studies show that 28 percent of our students, between 2 and 17, are overweight or obese," Pat Hoy, Chatham, Kent-Essex Member of Provincial Parliament, said in an announcement on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Education. "We would like to do something about it. Also, good nutrition seems to be a significant factor in how well children do in school."

Leave it to the Canadians to put it so bluntly and yet so mildly.

There's been an ongoing conversation on this topic in the U.S., but getting bad food out of our children's reach has proven harder than you would think. While many schools are taking steps in this direction, it is a patchwork effort. PTAs and health groups advocate for federal standards, saying that all children should "have equal opportunity to a healthy school environment."

It is hard for the US school system to legislate this stuff because such issues are usually handled by local school boards. It's time we figure out how to get some federal, or at least state, rules to keep our kids healthier, eh?

Photo credit: Phillie Casablanca via flickr

Katherine Gustafson is a freelance writer and editor with a background in international nonprofit organizations.
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