SACRAMENTO, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed bills banning soda sales in high schools and setting health standards for snacks sold in public schools.
Schwarzenegger signed the bills Thursday after walking a kilometer with bicycle racing champion Lance Armstrong and hundreds of schoolchildren at an obesity summit organized by the governor's wife, Maria Shriver, reported the Los Angeles Times Friday.
"One out of three kids, one of four teenagers, is overweight or at risk," Schwarzenegger said at the bill signing at Cal Expo, the state fairgrounds. "This leads to major medical problems like diabetes, heart disease, sleep disorders, depression, and it robs our kids of a healthy childhood."
California school vending machines will soon carry yogurt, nuts and milk instead of candy bars, chips and colas, while super-size muffins may make way for pizza slices with whole wheat crust and low-fat cheese.
Even the giant candy bars sold to raise funds for bands and sport teams will be banned from campuses during the school day if they fail to meet fat, sugar and calorie standards.
