Lawmakers Tackle Youth Obesity

Finding ways to battle an obesity epidemic among the state's youth was touted as one of the most important issues Florida lawmakers planned to tackle in this year's legislative session.

But with three weeks remaining, little — if any — progress has been made.

The Senate Education Committee still hasn't heard bills that would require that students be subjected to more physical education classes and nutrition instruction. No movement's been made on the notion of removing candy-filled and soda-laden vending machines from schools, either.

More than half of Florida's adults are overweight or obese, officials said. And many feel that unless drastic measures are taken in schools, that number will keep rising.

"We don't want them to be fat," said Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell, D-Fort Lauderdale. "If they're going to be fat, you're going to have a problem with kids dying before they should."

A panel chartered to study obesity among Floridians reported earlier this year that schools should consider finding ways to offset revenues generated by vending machines placed on their campuses, although it didn't mandate removing the machines from all schools.

The biggest reason? Money.

Duval County, for example, generates $2.7 million annually for its schools because of its vending-machine deal with Pepsi. Without that money, parents may have to pay for sports and other extracurricular programs. That's why the panel appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush recommended local districts decide for themselves.

"We would encourage local control, absolutely," said Kelly McAndrew, spokeswoman for Somers, N.Y.-based Pepsi Bottling Group. "We think it is best to keep the decision as close as possible to the people who are being affected."

Miami-Dade schools are already providing more options for the more than 360,000 children attending its schools.

"We have some vending machines that have only 100 percent juice, milk, water and baked snack items," said Carol Chong, the district coordinator for nutrition education. "We feel we need to provide some better options to maintain nutrition integrity."

However, health advocates would like Florida to have statewide standards — an idea that seems to be catching on nationwide.

Elementary schools in California, Arkansas and Texas have limited student exposure to vending machines, or removed them completely. Philadelphia's schools no longer allow soda sales, and New York City schools have done away with sodas and all sugary snacks.

And some lawmakers are pushing schools to be both diet-conscious and exercise-conscious.

More than half of Florida's students attend no more than one physical education class each week — a figure Sen. Gwen Margolis is seeking to dramatically increase. Her bill (SB 308) would require students have either a physical education class or recess daily is moving, but even if passed won't become law for at least another year so schools can closely examine cost implications and scheduling concerns.

Another Margolis bill (SB 306) would establish state standards on what types of foods could be sold in vending machines is languishing and unlikely to pass this year. It hasn't been heard by any of the five committees it was referred to after it was filed last fall.

"This legislation is not a physical education mandate," Margolis said. "It's a health mandate to improve the outlook for the next generation."

Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs and chair of his chamber's education committee, vowed that the bills will begin moving after lawmakers return from the weeklong break to observe Easter and Passover. Margolis, though, is clearly worried that the pressures of time will leave the bills unresolved.

Bush said he believes lawmakers will have a bill for him.

"I think the Legislature will make some good recommendations," Bush said.

There are some parents who fear mandatory physical education classes would cut into both the time and money allocated for art, music and other culture-based classes. Margolis is a staunch arts advocate, but says there must be a balance and decried what she terms a "disinformation" campaign.

"If a child is sick, he can't do music," she said. "If a child is sick, she can't do art."

___

On the Net:

Florida Legislature: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/

Reference Source 102

For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".