Socratic Monologue
Vending Machine - CC licensed by happy via; http://www.flickr.com/photos/via/2588299043/
The school division has recently enacted a healthy food policy. We’re trying, and in general I admire and support this, to eliminate unhealthy foods and drinks from the vending machines in schools that have them.
But – and you know this was coming, didn’t you – they haven’t really eliminated anything unhealthy. I walked past the beverage vending machines and they contained juice, water, Gatorade type drinks and Diet Coke. And Coke Zero! What the – let’s just use the word heck here in case my students are reading this – heck! They’re stilling selling drinks with sugar. I’m sure the Gatorade has at least as much sugar as a can of regular Coke. And they’re still selling caffeinated fizzy drinks. They’re just not selling them in the same can!
This is so unfair and agonizing to me. I walked past the machine so I started getting a Coke craving. This doesn’t happen often; usually I’m a coffee drinker. But thanks to the presence of those infernal machines, coupled with a more than slight case of sleep deprivation making me more easily mentally swayed, I’ve jonesing for a Coke. A real one. With caffeine and sugar in the same bottle. I don’t want aspartame or sucralose or any other artifical sweetener. I want real sugar!
Left with the choice between fizzy caffeine without sugar or over-priced koolaid, I chose the Coke Zero. It doesn’t taste quite like the real thing, and I know the aspartame is probably going to end up causing some sort of aneurysm, but thanks to the taunting yet still unhealthy vending machine, I am left with no options.
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I thought there was a recent survey showing that students’ pop drinking does not decrease when pop is removed from the school?
Our caf went to salads or soups as a side for the specials (replacing fries) last year, but most students still pony up the extra for french fries… they’re teens – what can you do?
I thought there was a recent survey showing that students’ pop drinking does not decrease when pop is removed from the school?
Our caf went to salads or soups as a side for the specials (replacing fries) last year, but most students still pony up the extra for french fries… they’re teens – what can you do?
I noticed this when I was at my last in-service at NBCHS. I broke down and bought a Coke Zero too, although I had given up artificial sweetener over a year ago. What is worse sugar or artificial sweetener? I think if they’re going ‘healthy’ then they should get rid of all pop. Just my 2 cents.
I noticed this when I was at my last in-service at NBCHS. I broke down and bought a Coke Zero too, although I had given up artificial sweetener over a year ago. What is worse sugar or artificial sweetener? I think if they’re going ‘healthy’ then they should get rid of all pop. Just my 2 cents.
@ian Interesting. I think that part of the reason for the choices students make is related to preferring certain kids of foods, but convenience might be an even more important factor. If opportunity is equal, yes they will go for the fries (so would I, for the record). But I was talking with a dietician friend last night and she said that some studies have been done on this topic. Yes, at first students went to the convenience store to get their junk food and vending machine sales were down, but after a few weeks the only students still going to the store were the ones who had been going there anyway. The other students had returned to the most convenient option. I’m not sure that would be true in all cases but it does suggest some thoughts on what the largest incentive for student food choices.
@Morag I agree about removing the pop completely. And the Gatorade while they’re at it – it’s pretty much just overhyped, overpriced Kool Aid. I think part of the reason for my Coke craving was seeing the diet and zero cans in the vending machine. That made me think of the real Coke. Very Pavlovian of me, wasn’t it?
@ian Interesting. I think that part of the reason for the choices students make is related to preferring certain kids of foods, but convenience might be an even more important factor. If opportunity is equal, yes they will go for the fries (so would I, for the record). But I was talking with a dietician friend last night and she said that some studies have been done on this topic. Yes, at first students went to the convenience store to get their junk food and vending machine sales were down, but after a few weeks the only students still going to the store were the ones who had been going there anyway. The other students had returned to the most convenient option. I’m not sure that would be true in all cases but it does suggest some thoughts on what the largest incentive for student food choices.
@Morag I agree about removing the pop completely. And the Gatorade while they’re at it – it’s pretty much just overhyped, overpriced Kool Aid. I think part of the reason for my Coke craving was seeing the diet and zero cans in the vending machine. That made me think of the real Coke. Very Pavlovian of me, wasn’t it?
Interesting study. Obviously money isn’t a factor, because the fries now cost more than soup or salads, and students are still buying them.
Another issue is funding – I know some schools that sell exclusive sales rights to a particular beverage in order to fund a scoreboard or some other upgrade. If school funding is an issue, how do you convince people that a property tax increase will be the result of banning junk food from schools?
Interesting study. Obviously money isn’t a factor, because the fries now cost more than soup or salads, and students are still buying them.
Another issue is funding – I know some schools that sell exclusive sales rights to a particular beverage in order to fund a scoreboard or some other upgrade. If school funding is an issue, how do you convince people that a property tax increase will be the result of banning junk food from schools?