Michelle Obama announced the Obama administrations new rules regarding the advertising and promotion of unhealthy foods in schools.
According to the New York Daily News, the First Lady announced that the administration would be requiring schools to have advertisements and promotions that matched the rules already in place for food distribution at schools. According to the USDA, companies are spending 149 million dollars a year on advertising in schools, and under the new rules they would have to begin showcasing their healthier products. This will mean no more vending machines with regular cola on the front, but instead diet colas or water.
Obama has been attempting to increase the health of U.S. children since the President's first term in office with her Let's Move initiative. Now, she seeks follow through with what the administration has been preaching. "The idea here is simple - our classrooms should be healthy places where kids aren't bombarded with ads for junk food. Because when parents are working hard to teach their kids healthy habits at home, their work shouldn't be undone by unhealthy messages at school."
The program will also institute firmer restrictions on vending machines, increasing the amount of healthy food they contain. It will also put more regulations on what foods can be sold in cafeterias outside of the standard school lunches.
This initiative has garnered criticism from the Republican party, as they believe that the government should not have the right to influence or control what children eat.
The USDA, in fear of a backlash, has asked the educational community to work with them to determine what constitutes fast food advertising. Some companies that produce unhealthy or less healthy foods have programs which are designed to help schools raise funds, or encourage children to participate in extracurricular educational activities. The debate is still open to comments and opinions on such programs.
