Ways to Reduce Childhood Obesity With Healthier School Vending Machines

Parents are demanding that school health officials provide solutions in the fight against childhood and teen obesity. Not so long ago, and even still today, school vending machines could be found stocked with all kinds of sweet and unhealthy snacks. There is no doubt that kids love the selection, but they lack the discipline to refrain from over-indulging themselves with these products. Studies have shown that the best method to reduce obesity as an adult is to start eating healthier choices as a child. But what does this mean for the vending industry?

Adding healthy choices for kids to eat can mean more business opportunities for vendors and food manufacturers alike. People interested in entering the vending industry may have an advantage over existing vendors who are established in the business. The reason for this is because existing vendors may have too much already invested in the products they sell today, leaving them with fewer avenues to get rid of their inventory. In comparison, someone new to the industry may be more flexible in the choices of school vending machines and products to sell. Another possibility is that the machines that existing vendors have in place may not provide the ability necessary to sell the types of snacks parents want their kids to choose from.

For a vendor to establish an agreement to sell food products within a school, certain criteria must be followed. When beverages are concerned, according to the American Beverage Association guidelines, only water or 100 percent juice can be sold in grade schools, while food items for middle schools must include low calorie beverages and soft drinks. For high schools the number of soft drinks in the selection should not be greater than 50 percent, while other healthier choices should constitute the other half, like sports drinks, for example.

There is also an emotional factor at play here. When more choices exist, it puts a person more at ease and breaks up the boredom that may arise out of having the same old items to choose from. School vending machines that offer such healthy choices as milk, juice, water, sandwiches, cereal bars or crackers, can be a welcome snack that satisfies students more and enables them to pay better attention to their classwork.

School experts are acknowledging the fact that stocking vending machines with healthy food items is a more attractive choice than removing them all together. Removing them will certainly not deter teens from obtaining unhealthy products because they will just wait to get out of school to get them. Vendors who are willing to keep up with the changing demands of their audience will flourish, while taking satisfaction of knowing they are helping children to get and stay healthy.