Editorial: School-snack attack

Friday, April 27, 2007 | 7:19 a.m.

The Institute of Medicine has recommended national standards for school snacks that call for strict limits on the calories, sugar and fat contained in the foods.

The institute, an arm of the federal government's National Academies, created the standards at the request of Congress, which noted the rising obesity rate among youngsters. Recent figures show that about 30 percent of U.S. people ages 6 to 19 are overweight.

The new recommendations for all grade levels are to allow only snacks that provide at least one serving of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or no-fat dairy during school hours and at after-school activities. High school students still would be allowed to obtain certain types of less-nutritious snack s - such as baked chips and soft drinks with caffeine and no more than five calories per serving - but only after school.

The new guidelines are only recommendations, but a bipartisan group of U.S. senators is co-sponsoring legislation to make the guidelines mandatory in all schools and let the U.S. Agriculture Department impose fines or cut school-lunch funding to schools that don't comply.

Nevada is ahead of the curve on this issue, as the sale of soft drinks and candy in schools was banned statewide last year.

However, simply banning junk food isn't enough. Children also must increase their physical activity to maintain good health and proper weight. Nevada's junk food regulations also require that children participate in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, but such activities can include recess or "nutrition breaks," which often refer to lunch periods when children should be eating.

We think Nevada's rules and any similar federal legislation should clearly require physical activity that is rigorous enough. Our children do need to eat better, but their parents and school administrators also need to make sure they truly exercise every day.