The Obama administration will begin a drive this week to expel Pepsi, French fries and Snickers bars from the nation's schools in hopes of reducing the number of children who get fat during their school years.
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In legislation soon to be introduced, candy and sugary beverages would be banned and many schools would be required to offer more nutritious fare.
To that end, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will deliver a speech today at the National Press Club in which he will insist, according to excerpts provided to The Times, that any vending machines that remain in schools be "filled with nutritious offerings to make the healthy choice the easy choice for our nation's children."
First lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday will launch an initiative to reduce childhood obesity, and her involvement "shows the importance all of us place on this issue," Vilsack said.
The administration's willingness to put the first lady's popularity on the line is a calculated bet that concerns about childhood obesity have become so universal that the once- partisan fight over who should control school-food offerings -- the federal government or school boards -- has subsided. But Republican support is far from certain.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., the ranking member on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, met at the White House with Michelle Obama on Tuesday to talk about childhood obesity. And while Chambliss released a statement saying that "schools play an important role in shaping nutrition habits of young children," an aide refused to say whether he would support a ban on junk foods.
Other Republicans said they would wait to see legislation before signaling whether they would put aside long-held views that school boards should control food offerings.
Source: New York Times
