Note from Connie: Even if schools get their acts together and start serving more healthful foods, fast-food joints near these schools may lure in the kids anyhow to eat their nutrition-bereft food.
Alas, more than one-third of middle and high schools in the U.S. are within a half-mile of a fast-food restaurant or convenience store, according to from researchers from the College of Nursing at the University of Illinois.
Thanks to Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times for alerting us to these unfortunate findings, which were published in the January issue of Health Place. SUGAR SHOCK! Blog researcher/writer Jennifer Moore brings you more information.
This study — one of the largest of its kind — also revealed that two-thirds of urban high schools had at least one fast food outlet within walking distance, Parker-Pope of the New York Times tells us. What’s more, over half of schools were no more than half a mile away from a convenience store, which, of course, are more likely to be stocked with junk food rather than fresh fruits or vegetables.
Clearly, the close proximity of these fast-food places and quickie
stores, are of concern, because 5 to 15% of high school kids leave
campus to eat lunch. What’s more, only a third of students ride school
buses to their schools, which means most kids could easily get to fast
food places either before or after school if they wanted.
What can be done about this? It may not be practical (or even
desireable) for parents to drop their kids off at school every morning
and pick them up again after school. (Besides, they won’t get the
exercise walking to classes.)
The Times’s Parker-Pope has an intriguing idea — she
suggests that communities pass laws to address the location of fast
food outlets near schools, but I imagine McDonald’s and other fast food giants would rigorously fight such proposals.
The schools that let kids off campus during school hours could keep
kids in school instead (and make sure they only offer healthy fare in
the cafeteria). Beyond that, though, parents need to make sure to
educate their kids to make healthier food choices.
Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog