Battle over junk food ban heats up

The grocery industry yesterday opposed an effort backed by a larger, more organized coalition seeking to ban schools in Massachusetts from selling fatty and sugar-filled food and drinks.

The push to restrict what is sold in school vending machines, at concession stands, à la carte, and at fund-raisers follows passage of a new law in California last year. Supporters in the Bay State say politicians need to do something to stem the growing number of overweight children.

Representative Peter J. Koutoujian, Democrat of Newton, cochairman of the Legislature's Public Health Committee, and lead sponsor of the bill, said children are exposed to 20,000 advertisements a year, the majority of which are about unhealthy foods, such as candy, soda, and fast food.

Students should not be given the option in school to eat junk food, he said. ''They do not have the ability to understand what is being marketed to them," Koutoujian said at press conference prior to a hearing on the bill. ''Who's in charge here, the children or the adults?"

Adam Barnett, an 11-year-old pupil from Newton, has attended the Optimal Weight for Life program through Children's Hospital for the past four years and has dropped 40 pounds. If it weren't for that program, which taught him how to control his portion sizes and watch his eating habits, he would be overweight again, he said during yesterday's hearing. ''Rarely is there a healthy option to choose from," he said.

Koutoujian filed similar legislation last session. But with opposition from the grocery industry and lawmakers looking to pursue alternative plans to help children lead healthier lives, such as promoting physical and health education classes, the bill never advanced.

Opponents also say the issue should be left up to local school districts to decide.

''Restrictions do not educate," said Susan Connelly, senior manager of state affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, or GMA. ''Restricting or prohibiting certain foods will almost certainly not work, as these policies will do nothing to help people choose the right foods for their own dietary needs."

According to a Department of Public Health survey of nearly 12,000 seventh graders in 40 districts during the 2003-2004 school year, 15 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls were overweight. That survey was the first of its kind for the department.

The bill would require the Department of Education to establish nutritional standards in public elementary, middle, and high schools. Among other items, those standards would ban food with more than 30 percent of its calories coming from fat and packages with 35 percent or more of its weight from sugar, including fruits, vegetables, and dairy.

In addition, only water, fruit juices with at least 50 percent fruit juice and no added sweeteners, and milk products could be sold in schools. Supporters of the bill say students will still have a wide array of options available in vending machines and at concession stands, such as baked chips, nuts, or chips with smaller serving sizes.