Will Banning Sweets in Schools Help End Childhood Obesity?

Malden Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Malden.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions.

Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today.

This week's topic:

The Malden public school system is about to adopt the state's new wellness policy, which will prohibit fast food bought by students during the school day, baked goods or preapred foods bought by parents for students to share, "instant food" (candy bars, cookies, etc) fundraisers before, during or immediately after school hours, and food used as rewards for students. The goal is to reduce allergic reactions and obesity among students, and is mandated by the state.

The Question: Is it right for our schools to set restrictive dietary policies for students during school hours? Do the benefits justify the change in policy, or is this an example of a nanny-state taking over the family decision-making process?

We asked some members of our Moms Council to weigh in and start the conversation.Here are some of their thoughts, but we want to hear from you! Let us know what you think about the new policy and what it means for families in our comments section below.

From Kate Sedan:

I gotta say that I think this is a good idea, for the most part. I mean, ultimately it is our culture of not cooking or eating real foods that has led us to these problems. We aren't handing down cooking instructions to our kids either by example or by teaching them outright. If a kid sees adults reaching into a bag or a box or a drive-through window for a meal, she is not then going to say, "Oh, so real food is made with real vegetables!" That idea has to come from somewhere.

I hate the idea that food is used today to fill up kids and shut them up rather than to nourish them. They are the ones who are growing and learning and need the good stuff. We might as well start with these new policies, but getting rid of the junk is only one prong of the whole approach. We have to replace the junk with good AND delicious stuff.

Unfortunately, the kids' palates have been conditioned to think that over-salted, over-sweetened, overly fatty foods are what defines delicious. We have to re-train them that normal, real food is good. This is the true battle at hand and we gotta start somewhere, so we may as well bomb the trenches of the entrenched enemy first.

From Theresa Mickelwait:

While I have no particular qualms about school districts or private schools setting certain restrictive policies into place regarding diet, these seem to be going a tad bit overboard. Well, OK. A LOT overboard.  

I see nothing inherently wrong in banning fast food on the premises. Nor do I see anything wrong with removing soda vending machines from schools and either replacing them with water vendors or, a thought: Nothing at all. Leave bubblers in place and offer milk at lunch.

But ultimately, these restrictions do not, in any way, directly address the "obesity epidemic." They simply set a policy without providing education, resources, or tools for students of all ages to bring home or carry over into life outside of school where most of the problem lies.

As far as addressing the allergen issue...without knowing how many students suffer from food allergies, and how many have been inadvertently affected by their classmates offerings, it's hard to judge. So far, what I've seen is that ER trips, sudden onset illnesses and even death as a result of exposure to these foods has not, in any way, been reduced significantly by such policies.

But wouldn't it be simpler to say that, if baked goods or treats will be brought in to share, they should not contain X, Y, or Z and provide parents in that classroom a list of known allergies among the students of THAT classroom?  

Moderation is the best lesson here. It's never all or nothing at all and I wish policy makers would stop teaching our kids to take the easy way out.  

As an aside, I've found that if my toddler helps to make dinner, she's far more interested in clearing her plate. Isn't that interesting?