Posted on 02/23/2005 1:15:30 PM PST by Constitutionalist Conservative
 Jay Janner/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Austin High School sophomore Brady Myatt, 16, now has lower-fat choices such as wraps to order from food services worker Josephine Maldonado. The school is also trying to make its vending selections healthier. |
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, February 19, 2005 When Austin High School administrators removed candy from campus vending machines last year, the move was hailed as a step toward fighting obesity. What happened next shows how hard it can be for schools to control what students eat on campus. The candy removal plan, according to students at Austin High, was thwarted by classmates who created an underground candy market, turning the hallways of the high school into Willy-Wonka-meets-Casablanca. Soon after candy was removed from vending machines, enterprising students armed with gym bags full of M&M's, Skittles, Snickers and Twix became roving vendors, serving classmates in need of an in-school sugar fix. Regular-size candy bars like the ones sold in vending machines routinely sold in the halls for $1.50. "There was no sugar in the vending machines, so (student vendors) could make a lot of money," said Hayden Starkey, an Austin High junior who said he was not one of the candy sellers. "I heard kids were making $200 a week just selling candy." The Austin High administration, which won't elaborate on how much or little it knew about the candy black market, has since replenished the vending machines with some types of candy. Principal Barbara Spelman said the school did so after becoming more familiar with the minimal nutritional standards. According to the state, milk chocolate, for example, meets minimal nutritional standards because it does have milk in it. Candy with peanuts contains protein. The vending machines still don't carry Starburst, Skittles and other so-called pure sugar products. As for students peddling such contraband, Spelman would only say, "I'm sure there's a temptation to do that. Is it something that we condone? If there's something that we hear about that's going on, we do deal with that because they shouldn't be doing that." Regardless of the reason, Austin High's retreat on treats highlights the limits to which school districts can create a healthier eating environment for students on school grounds as education officials around the state and the nation work to combat the growing health crisis of childhood obesity. In 2000-01, 16.5 percent of children 6 to 19 years old were overweight, and an additional 15 percent were at risk of becoming overweight, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The picture is more bleak in Texas, where the rate of overweight and obese children is almost 50 percent higher than the national average. In a September Governor's Conference on Childhood Obesity, Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, state health commissioner, said that one in three babies born in Texas is projected to develop Type 2 diabetes as a result of obesity-related problems — a far cry from 10 years ago, when children were rarely diagnosed with that form of the disease. State lawmakers have proposed a number of options to address the obesity problem. State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, has introduced a bill to provide incentives to school districts to keep campus facilities open for recreation after school hours. In January, Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, filed a bill that would require schools to calculate each student's body-mass index and send the assessments to parents along with report cards. But at the local level, the effort to trim expanding waistlines has focused largely on purging schools of junk food and replacing it with healthier options. In August 2002, the Austin district took all carbonated beverages out of its schools. Renegotiating the Coca-Cola food services contract to replace sodas with options such as sports drinks and bottled water cost the district $2 million over five years, Superintendent Pat Forgione said. The district also shrank the portions of its cafeteria offerings to more accurately reflect USDA-approved serving sizes. And this year, it redesigned its menus, replacing candy bars with multigrain snacks and low-fat, baked potato chips. Three weeks ago, Austin schools introduced lunchroom stations serving made-to-order wraps, and Austin district food services manager Chris Carillo-Spano said that made-to-order sub sandwiches will be coming soon. But when students go off-campus for lunch, they often go to fast-food chains such McDonald's or Wendy's, or "greasy-spoon" establishments close to school. In the Austin district, only seniors are allowed to venture off campus during the school day, and Reagan Assistant Principal Paul Darby said that on his campus, "there are consequences" for underclassmen leaving school grounds, starting with a one-day, in-school suspension for a first offense. But students at Austin and Reagan said that they know of many underclassmen who go off-campus for lunch anyway. Others get seniors to bring food back for them. Then there are the students' reports of the underground candy market. School officials at Austin High removed all candy from the vending machines during the summer, replacing it with items such as tuna kits, granola bars and baked chips. They began bringing the nutritionally acceptable candy back in November. During the prohibition, one student, who asked not to be identified, said that he sold candy at the school and made as much as $50 in a day. Students said that while they did not know of anyone being disciplined for selling candy on campus, some were called in by administrators and told to stop. However, ninth-grader Justin Francisco said, the underground market only slowed "after they put candy back in" the vending machines. And if the supply of sweets runs low again, there's always the candyman, waiting in the wings. "It's all about supply and demand," said Austin junior Scott Roudebush. "We've got some entrepreneurs around here."
Bwahaha!
The school is stupid to think that banning candy would work.
BWAHAHA
The free market libertarians on FR are gonna LOVE this!
I got busted by the school principal, Mr. PU, in the 2nd grade for selling cininmon toothpicks for a nickle each.
I had $3 in sales when he called me to his office.
I love capitalism.
There are exceptions for candy flavored condoms....
Who woulda thunk it! Prohibition leads to black market, hmm, that doesn't ring any historical bells.....
No, the dog isn't checking for coca plants, it's checking for cacao plants.
We recently had to sell $1.00 per bar candies (52 bars per box) for a fundraiser. Each family had sell 3 boxes...I thought, oh great...we will never sell these. Wrong!!! They were remodeling the break room where my PaDad works (ie., no vending machines) and people were seeking him out (he actually had phone calls asking if he could 'save a Snickers for them'). Don't take a midday sugar break away...things could get ugly.
How much candy can be eaten in school anyway? We weren't allowed to eat in class or in the halls. We had breakfast, then lunch then after school we went home. Stopped on the way home for a coke or candy with friends but that was it. How come kids have to eat all day long anyway? They are in school not out on the playground.
This sounds like a bonanza for some enterprising kid who passes a store on the way to school. HEHEHE Black market candy. Gad, whatta country.
It's probably more cake/cookies and sugar-sodas that are the problem than straightforward sweets. A Reecy-cup is actually pretty good for you...
We had cinnamon rolls for five cents, but they were bigger than two fists and loaded with sugar, butter, and starch -- what a treat!. Kids can't be stopped from eating what they want, but we had a coach who told us the right things to eat, stopped us from eating junk when he caught us, and ran the you know what out of us with two workouts a day. There was no fat on our cross country team. If kids would be re-motivated to use their bodies there would be no obesity problem among the young. This coach was unusual, and his team won a national championship but he sent home a diet which my mom was supposed to fix for us. (She rejected it because it had too much meat for our budget.) So lets get the coaches back and have the kids hit the track. And forget about government solving this one.
Bring in the candy-sniffing dogs! Many, many years ago in grade school I sold candy to classmates for a little while--but stopped after suffering inventory "shrinkage," I didn't have access to a secure locker. I also sold knives that I ordered from the backs of comic books, then marked up.
Hell, if they can't even successfully ban drugs from the public schools, how do they think they're going to ban candy?
Silly school administrators.
I was just thinking of the contradiction on something like that. More often than not there are kids selling candy as school fund raisers in front of the local grocery store. Wonder if this school uses such fund raisers? In essence they would be telling prospective buyers "hey, we don't allow the kids to eat this stuff, but we want YOU to buy some and eat it". What if a kid that's trying to sell the candy for a fund raiser starts selling to other students at school since candy was taken out? LOL What are they going to tell him/her?..."Don't you DARE sell that evil candy here at school! By the way, have you sold your 3 boxes yet??? We NEED that money!!!"
Sheesh.
Did you get busted under the "no weapons in school" policy?
Bet you would today. Why, it would be a fourth level offense and you'd be off to some thug school.
Did anyone see the article a few weeks ago about some preschools not allowing fruit juice anymore, since some studies say fruit juice is fattening? Then, there are the people who say dairy is bad. Our water is polluted. There isn't going to be much left to drink soon.
You are right. We used to eat a big dinner, dessert and then go out on a date dancing and kicking up our heels on Fri and Sat nights. Walked to the dance, danced all night, walked to the "burger hangout" ate burgers and fries then walked home. We had gym class where we ran, played ball outside in the nice weather. I was also a cheerleader along with my friends. We had work to do at home as well. Up and down stairs. Running downtown to pick somethign up for our mother from the store. Playing outside when younger. Jump rope, kick the can, dodge ball, tag, hide n' seek. ALSOOOO...we ATE solid foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The only "junk" foods we had was what we grabbed now and then. Some chips, cookies or cake. But, not every day day in and day out. WE ate pasta, beans, salads, vegetables (like them or not) fruits, jello, puddings, soups, etc.
We ate EVERYTHING in the food pyramid and then we worked it off one way or another. Those WERE the days...
My brother hooked up with a kid from the inner city and sold candy on the sly in elementary school. It was ridiculous how he sold pixie sticks out of a coat pocket like they were bags of heroin. Once they got to highschool, my bro dropped out of the sugar racket while the other kid graduated to the slinging real thing. He ended dead at 17, shot in the park thanks to a dope deal gone bad.
Al Capone would really love it here now!
Yes, I remember actually missing meals because we were playing and no one remembered we were hungry. Somehow food tasted better when you went without for a while, kids today are missing a lot.
PS, I also knew the location of every fruit tree and when it was in season. Stolen fruit tasted even better than store bought. He He.
That's so funny. We missed a meal and forgot we were hungry. Well, they say exercise can "tame" the appetite and...since we ran, walked, played, jumped, worked, danced, cheered and did all of that, that's probably why. Besides...was there anything at all better than walking into your front door (especially in the winter months on a cold day) and breathig in the aromas coming from the kitchen? MMMMmmm, I loved it all and some days I would walk in and think Mmmmm, steak but lo and behold...it was the "dreaded liver." Hated it. But...had to eat it. Didn't kill me. Never served it a day in my home though. Ha,ha. That's how our son feels about brussel sprouts abd my husband about turnips and my daughter about onions. :)
Stolen fruit. Ha,ha. I think anyone who had fruit trees just KNEW the kids would come by for a free taste. :) Yep, kids are missing a lot. The sad part is they are missing the simplest of things. I wish they could experience some of what we had.
You'd be surprised. In High School we couldn't eat in class or in the hallways either, but lets be honest.
Teachers aren't exactley acting eagle eyes if a kid takes out a candy bar, rip the wrapper off, and eats, as long as he/she is not there taking time.
It can take maybe a minuit or 2 to finish off a bar, max. I used to carry some junk food and gatorade or snapple during the day.
My thoughts exactly.
Those who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it.
Alot of teachers hate it.
In High School I helped a friend of mine sells some baseball jerseys, I had a teacher lecture me, and tell me its against the rules.
I remember asking her why, and she said something to the effect of "because them the smart kids will rip off the not as smart kids, and we need to protect them, and make sure everyone is treated equally".
Did you ever notice, that being in school, its kind of like the ideal socialist enviornment, almost recreated like labatory? Equality is more important the liberty, authority always knows best, its important to de-emphasise individuality, etc?
This, I am afraid, is the lament of every generation. But -- Our son has discovered that he likes our generation's music and even (the horror) he likes musicals. He can't let his friends in on this though, I guess musicals are the sole province of homosexuals today. Too Bad. Anyway, he is active enough that he has not put on weight yet, I tell him to watch out when he turns 35, it is tough to keep slim and active after that. Oh well, time to go to the Wed night dance. (Work off some of the happy hour 'or derves.)
What about the lactose intolerant?
Candy with peanuts contains protein.
How about persons with peanut allergies?
They're not selling candy, they're selling DEATH to the students! </sarcasm>
Glad your son likes our music. Ever notice some of the really good movies use that music? Musicals and the like are great. Glad he enjoyes those as well. Yes, after 35 it gets tougher to take it off. Start now to eat everything but...in small doses. He'll be fine. :)
Oh I'm sure food can be eaten in a snap but...I'm saying there's no way we would have gotten away with eating something in class. The Nuns had "eagle eyes." God love them. :)
That sounds a lot like something I once got suspender for, except that I was ordering my knives from ads in Shotgun News.
The good old days.
: )
Gotta love those young entrepreneurs.
A gap came in a niche market - so they filled it. I'm guessing those kids are Republicans? :-)
Kinda like the same principle Rush talks about in which governments don't want people to smoke, but you are morally obligated to buy cigarettes to fund the programs the cigarette taxes pay for.
Brings back some memories, I had nuns as teachers too. I remember one nun who insisted that I was always chewing gum (I honestly wasn't) and would do everything she could to catch me. Drove me nuts too.
It must have been some weird glitch I had because in college, I had a speech class where the teacher took off a couple of points, for, you guessed it, chewing gum during the speech.
I yelled at him that I don't chew gum, and several other students, did tell him, that it was a mannerism I had, in which he relented, though that nun never ever did.
She probably still thinks I was trying to pull one over on her.
I'm guessing you read the articles on how schools across the country have started banning peanuts, and some of them will even suspend kids for bringing peanut products to school.
I had the sad experience of meeting somone with a peanut allergy, she actually had to carry around emergency shots. I can't see why, if she went in a reaction or shock, I don't see how she would have been able to give herself an emergency shot anyway.
Wow, that's strange but funny. Well, you KNOW the Nun wasn't going to admit she was wrong. :)
Well, since a black market popped up when they banned unhealthy food from vending machines and from being sold (and you know the students selling the candy on the black market will be suspended/expelled when caught), the schools will just respond to the situation by instituting a ZERO-TOLERANCE policy towards unhealthy food, meaning that mere possession of unhealthy foods on school property will result in automatic expulsion. :(
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