Childhood obesity has been on the rise at an astounding rate. Health experts have been looking for answers everywhere from school cafeterias, fast food restaurants, social classes, and all family scenarios (such as divorce parents), to try and come up with where this problem is coming from. Because almost every child goes to school, it is natural for the experts to look deep into what the schools offer to find a major cause for childhood obesity.
A new study from researchers in Penn State recently disputed any corrulation between school vending machines and adolescent weight gain. The most important find in this study is that adolescents have set dietary habits already by the time they reach middle school. And they found no more weight gain from kids with vending machine access at schools then kids without.
Vending machines in schools should only offer healthy choices. But more importantly, parents need to make better choices in what to feed their kids from an early age. If we can combine healthy eating habits at home, and in schools, then we can start making a difference in childhood obesity. Eating habits are taught!
