2-5-10 | Utah Legislature: Popularity a powerful tool for persuading kids to eat better in schools | Salt Lake Tribune

SALT LAKE CITY — The trick to getting teens to eat healthy is convince them it's a popular and trendy thing to do.

Weston Winegar, owner of Legrand Healthy Vending, has Yo Naturals vending machines in five of Granite School District's east-bench junior high schools. Following the attitude of organic grocery stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, he says, his machines have really caught on and are getting up to 30 hits per day.

"It's more popular now to eat a Clif Bar than a Snickers bar," Winegar said.

He was among about 50 people who showed up at the Senate Education Committee meeting Friday, and many of them had planned to testify. However, the committee ran out of time and had to move the bill to a future date for further discussion.

Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay, pitched HB49, which would implement statewide guidelines for beverages and snacks in schools. An amendment to the bill would give responsibility of enforcing the guidelines to the Utah State Board of Education.

Jones said she pared back the bill after learning there was little committee support for the initial version. Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, suggested seeing if schools are willing to implement the guidelines on their own. If not, he said, run the stronger bill again next year.

One in five elementary-age children in Utah is overweight or obese, and more than one in five high-school-age children are overweight or obese, according to the Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity program at the Utah Department of Health.

Children who are overweight are 70 percent more likely to become obese adults and are at greater risk for chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and cancer. Studies show they also face a lifetime of social discrimination, low self-esteem and depression, according to the health department.

Kelli Boi, who has two children ages 10 and 7 at Davis School District's Clinton Elementary School, said her kids are under peer pressure at school to buy things from vending machines, but "there really aren't appropriate choices." She is a freshman in the nutrition master's degree program at the University of Utah.

The bill would limit fruit juices to no more than 120 calories and a one-time snack to no more than 150 calories at elementary schools, 180 at middle schools and 200 at high schools.

"These are reasonable guidelines," Jones said.

Winegar said everything in his machine fits within the bill's guidelines. His machines tout natural sodas, organic juices, vitamin waters, fruit leather, Cliff Bars, yogurt bars, dried fruit and pita chips. The vendor will soon include an organic, healthful version of cheese puffs.

However, the healthy food is more expensive than a soda pop and candy bar. The juices run up to $1.50, and a Clif Bar or organic chips are $1.50 each.

Further, the healthy items also have a shorter shelf life, generally up to 90 days.

Go to le.utah.gov/~2010/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0049s02.htm to read the bill.

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