Unsafe at Any Size

I was surprised that a blog I follow for healthy kid’s foods wasn’t categorically against vending machines in schools.  In her Healthy Food Ideas for Super Healthy Kids, Amy says she doesn’t oppose putting vending machines in schools because we need to teach kids how to resist temptation and make healthy choices.  She argues that there will always be unhealthy foods, at work, at the autoshop… and our kids need to know how to stay away from it.  We won’t stop obesity by legislating away junk food because it will always be there.

Fortunately, making these choices at school are a long way away for my 6-year old twin boys, because if they had change and there was a vending machine with candy they would so not be making healthy choices.  It would be nice if vending machines even had healthy choices, but they generally don’t.

So no vending machines in elementary schools with Dorito happy 6 year-olds.  I think we’re all ok with that.

But when do we start trusting kids to make healthy choices?  We don’t trust them with the choice to buy cigarettes until they are 18, and alcohol until they are 21.

Now, is junk food analogous to cigarettes and alcohol?  Perhaps more the latter, as it’s possible to drink responsibly and sociably, but it’s more likely to be abused by the young which is why we limit their access to it until they are more responsible.  Drinking a six-pack is more immediately dangerous than eating a box of Ding Dongs (mmmm…. Ding Dongs), but both present serious health dangers over time.

Yes, our kids need to learn how to make healthy choices, but do they have to have these challenges everywhere, including school?  There are plenty of other places where they’ll have to exercise their healthy choice muscles.  Unfortunately, many are already addicted to unhealthy choices, as I was.

What’s your take?