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Most schools offer junk food: report

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 September 2005, 21:58 CDT

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nine out of 10 U.S schools offer snack food or soda to students in direct competition with school lunches, the U.S. General Accountability Office reported on Wednesday.

Some, but not all, of the snacks are "junk" food. Consumer groups and some politicians have called for immediate legislation to regulate the nutritional content of what foods schools can offer -- even those in vending machines.

The GAO report found that 83 percent of elementary schools, 97 percent of middle schools, and 99 percent of high schools offered "competitive" foods for sale -- meaning food outside the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs.

The report, based on two nationally representative surveys, found that even though several states had enacted policies on offering junk food, it was still widely available.

"Nearly 9 out of 10 schools sold competitive foods to students in school year 2003-2004, and the availability of competitive foods sold in middle schools and through a la carte lines has increased over the last five years," the GAO report reads.

"Schools often sold these foods in or near the cafeteria and during lunch, and the competitive foods available ranged from nutritious items such as fruit and milk to less nutritious items such as soda and candy," it added.

The reason the competitive foods are offered is usually money, the GAO said.

"Many schools, particularly high schools and middle schools, generated substantial revenues through competitive food sales in 2003-2004," the report reads.

"Specifically, the nearly 30 percent of high schools generating the most revenue from these sales raised more than $125,000 per school."

The GAO noted that the nutritional value of such foods is "largely unregulated." Many are sugary or fatty snacks that contribute to obesity.

"This study should be a wake up call to all Americans, and specifically to those of us in Congress who have stood idly by as more and more junk food inundates our schools," said Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, who requested the report.

"If we are serious about combating the childhood obesity epidemic and improving child nutrition, then everyone must chip in -- parents, schools, and yes even Congress."

The American Beverage Association issued a statement saying it had new guidelines that would stop the sale of soft drinks in elementary schools and restrict sales in middle schools to "nutritious" or lower-calorie beverages such as sports drinks, no-calorie soft drinks, and low-calorie juice drinks during the school day.

Source: REUTERS

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