Healthful food in school?

Looks like someone finally got a clue:

Public elementary and middle schools (in New Jersey) would be prohibited from selling soda and junk food under a package of measures approved Monday by a state Senate panel taking aim at a growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

The bills aim to restrict the amount of sugar, fat and salt children consume, at least during the school day.

"The most effective way to prevent obesity in our children is to teach them the right way to eat," said Assemblyman Herb Conaway, D-Burlington, a physician who co-sponsored a similar measure in the Assembly.

Similar proposals have been introduced in at least 17 states this year, according to the national Conference of State Legislatures. Policies are on the books in a few states, including California and Arkansas, while a proposal in Connecticut would extend the ban to high schools.

The New Jersey legislation would prohibit public school vending machines from stocking any item that lists sugar as its first ingredient, or anything that has more than eight grams of total fat, except nuts and seeds. The ban would be in effect until 30 minutes after schools closed for the day.

The measures also require that vending machines in high schools be stocked with at least one healthy snack; home-baked goods sold at fund-raisers would be exempt from the restrictions.

Robert Earl, senior director for nutrition policy at the Food Products Association, a food and beverage industry trade association, believes the restrictive approach that states are taking will not improve children's health.

"We certainly believe school is the right environment for teaching students about developing lifelong eating habits," he said. "We believe it is incorrect to apply guidance about diet to individual foods because that often eliminates very wholesome food products."

Now if public schools would bring back the physical education (including recess) and arts classes they cut to make room for courses designed to teach students how to test and therefore raise standardized test scores, we'd be making really progress against childhood and teen obesity.