Changing habits

By Valerie Ashmon

The Selma Times-Journal

Statistics show that Alabama youth have some of the nation's highest rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

In response to this, Dr. Joe Morton, Alabama's state schools superintendent, made a decision during last Tuesday's State Board of Education meeting to implement the following nutritional policy:

Elementary Schools:

€ No carbonated soft drinks. Only non-carbonated products.

Middle Schools:

€ Seventy percent of selections in vending machines must be non-carbonated water, fruit juice, milk products, teas and sports drinks.

€ Thirty percent of selection can be soft drinks, but half of this group must be low/no calorie.

High Schools:

€ Fifty percent of vending machine drink selections must be non-carbonated water, fruit juice, milk products, teas and sports drinks.

€ Fifty percent of selections can be carbonated soft drinks, but half of this group must be low/no calorie.

Vending Fronts:

€ In elementary and middle schools, all vending machine fronts will picture water or fruit juice.

€ In high schools, during the 2005-06 school year, vending fronts will picture primarily water and juices, with an occasional soft drink picture allowed.

€ During the 2006-07 school year, all vending fronts except for those at athletic spectator settings, such as football stadiums, will feature water and juice products.

These changes will take effect at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year, except in cases where schools have an existing vending contract. The plan will gradually eliminate cafeteria foods that are high in fat and sugar and replace them with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It also provides recommendations for physical activity at all grade levels and states that all students in grades K-8 will be taught physical education (P.E.) by certified P.E. teachers by the 2007-2008 school year. Despite the changes that are to occur, local school system personnel view it as a step in the right direction. "We've been working on this for about three or four years," said Smyly Kirkpatrick. "Selma City decided - before this ever passed - that we were going to do something about the obesity."

Kirkpatrick, the Director of Child Nutrition for the Selma City School System said that four years ago, the system began increasing the amount of vegetables in their lunch program, providing daily salads, cutting down on high fat foods and limiting the amount of sodium and carbohydrates.

"This year we have two or three things that we will fry - but no french fries at all," she said. "Our juices will be 100% juice, there will be no more carbonated drinks in the school system at all and no more whole milk - everything will be low fat."

In addition, Kirkpatrick said that

Selma City schools will include more wheat bread and whole grains in their menus.

"We went further than them (the State Department)," Kirkpatrick said. "Basically, this is going to make us, make better choices for the children." "I think this is a positive thing," said Dr. Fannie Major-McKenzie. "What makes it more positive for me is the fact that the State Superintendent was very balanced in his decision to do this. He provided us an opportunity to transition our people into the areas of those things that we are not currently doing." McKenzie, the superintendent of the Dallas County School System, said that she does not expect the new regulations to have any negative effects on the system. "In terms of the school setting - with the vending machines and the cafeteria - of course, we're going to comply," she said. "The key thing about the Child Nutrition Program is not just that we're going to have healthier foods and fresher vegetables - but (we will cut back on) frying the foods." McKenzie said that before the State Superintendent made these recommendations, Dallas County schools had been serving broiled meats, a variety of vegetables, and 2% milk. "There is a greater effort to have healthier foods - the broiled (meats), more vegetables and lower calories, McKenzie said. "Right now, we use the 2% milk - we don't use whole milk - and we've been doing that for a long time." "I think the parents will be happy and will see this as a positive measure," she said. "We're just committed to implementing the guidelines as written."3