Late last month, the Los Angeles school board unanimously voted to ban soda sales in all secondary schools, a move that eliminates an important financial resource. Each year, the average secondary school has received approximately $39,000 in revenue from soda sales from vending machines. While the intentions of this move are to improve the health of Los Angeles secondary school students, on its own it only deprives schools of much-needed funds.
Those who applaud the ban suggest it will model healthy behavior, and many celebrated the decision as a victorious springboard towards improving the health of students in southern California. Lack of soda in the schools’ vending machines, they argue, will reduce consumption of the unhealthy, sugar-and-sodium-laden drink, avail other beverage choices and change the way students think about food. But the change in no way prevents students from bringing soda from home or from consuming soda on campus. Many students in the urban Los Angeles school district already opt to eat off campus at lunch, where an array of healthy and unhealthy food choices awaits them.
The ban on selling soda on campus will not improve the dietary habits of these Los Angeles students. Granted, the school board’s concern about the health of students is necessary. The proponents of this ban seek to battle the ever-increasing obesity epidemic, which involves many of our nation’s children, and is estimated to effect or threaten some 40 percent of Los Angeles’ children. However this move to ban soda is, on its own, too simple—the best remedy to help these students must involve a drastic change in diet education and exercise instruction. In the school forum, students, especially those affected by obesity, may best improve their well being through health education. Regular classes emphasizing the disastrous results of unhealthy food on the body, coupled with regular physical education, would do more much to change the habit of an unhealthy student. These changes, however, call for increased funding, something schools will be lacking after the enforcement of this bill begins and $39,000 a year is lost.
The Los Angeles school board needs a plan to address the lost funds and the health issues simultaneously. Such a plan would replace the soda in vending machines with more healthy beverages. While some schools have considered this option, the school board should advocate for this universally. Additionally, the schools should seek a long-term education curriculum to impress students with healthy behavior useful throughout their lives.
The attention given to the Los Angeles school board’s move has prompted many other school districts around the nation to consider a similar ban. The Los Angeles school district is the second largest in the United States and its move to ban soda without other educational reforms has set an irresponsible example for these other districts to follow. Instead of just emulating Los Angeles, other school districts that seek improved health for their students must recognize the limited effect of the ban and consequently enact a plan to actually address health problems.
In Los Angeles and across the country, obesity is a complex problem that deserves must more than a simple solution.
