A new study suggests a possible correlation between schools that crack down on the sale of junk food and the decline of childhood obesity.
The information was gathered through observing 6,300 fifth- through eighth-grade students in 40 states over a three-year period. Though researchers caution that the findings are preliminary, Dr. J. Scott Ries of the Christian Medical Association (CMA) finds it interesting that stricter laws are contributing to the decline.
"Not only between fifth and eighth grade did they have less weight gain, but children who were overweight in fifth grade had normalized their weight more so in states that had stronger laws on the books than kids in states with less strong laws," he relays.
Though he recognizes that government restrictions are politically controversial, Dr. Ries says schools do need to rein in the availability of junk food.
"There's no constitutional right to junk food here," he states. "The kids can still eat what they want, but this issue, I think, is ultimately going to be about requiring the institutions to provide healthier food options and [regulating] that a little bit better."
But the CMA spokesman is quick to add that any guidelines should be handled at the state level -- without any federal government intrusion.