Archive for Monday, January 23, 2006  Report: Sugary snacks
should be suspended  January 23, 2006   Kansas schools have no
business letting giant corporations peddle candy and sugary
drinks to their students, according to a recent report by Kansas
Action for Children.  "It's not good for kids," said Gary Brunk,
executive director at Kansas Action for Children.  KAC released
a report last week, showing that teenagers who drink a can of
non-diet soda a day are likely to add 10 pounds to their normal
body weight in a year.  A 12-oz. can of non-diet soda contains
about 12 teaspoons of sugar.  The report, "Vending Machines in
Kansas Schools: Jeopardizing the Student Body," noted that
today's teenagers drink two to three times more soft drinks than
their counterparts of 20 years ago. They're also drinking 40
percent less milk.  The shift in consumption coincides with
increases in childhood obesity.  The report found that vending
machines are in 98 percent of the nation's high schools, 89
percent of the junior highs