WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The National Automatic Merchandising Association is teaming up with The Snackwise Nutrition Rating System, non-profit after school soccer program America Scores, and pro-football legend Lynn Swann to promote the Balanced for Life campaign, designed to educate children about nutrition and the importance of physical activity.
NAMA President and CEO Richard M. Geerdes said more than 9 million children in the United States are overweight. That translates into 15.3 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11, and 15.5 percent of adolescents between 12 and 19.
"Nutrition education and physical activity are the two major pieces to solving that problem," Geerdes said.
In response to some criticism that vending machines and the "junk food" sold in them should be banned from schools, Geerdes said vending machines represent an important source of revenue for schools and school administrators choose what goes in them.
"We're parents too, and are just as concerned as everyone else about the devastating impact childhood obesity will have on our children and their future," Geerdes said. "Our desire is to be part of the solution, not seen as the problem."
Industry studies conducted in 2003 show that students purchase less than one candy bar or salted snack item per student per week. Likewise, weekly consumption of sodas in high schools was 16.42 ounces.
The Snackwise Nutrition Rating system was developed by the Columbus (Ohio) Children's Hospital, and uses simple red, yellow, and green colors to rank snack foods as "choose rarely," "choose moderately," and "choose frequently." The idea is to educate students, teachers, and parents to select smarter snack choices, recognizing that snacking is going to occur.
"Snacks are great and it is important to snack smart," said Licensed Dietitian Lori Valencic. "Eating four or five small feedings a day is more beneficial than three meals for many people."
Valencic said apples, yogurt, string cheese, peanuts, and granola bars are some examples of nutritious snacks that contain calcium, protein, and fiber, while cookies and chocolate are only good in moderation.
"Snacking makes up 30 percent of a child's intake," said Janice M. Ritter, a research dietician at the Columbus Children's Hospital Borden Center for Nutrition and Wellness. "If good choices are available, kids select them."
Despite this information, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has criticized Swann, chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, for receiving payment from the vending machine trade association to appear at public relations events.
The CSPI urged that Swann be fired from his position and said his appearance is "just another public-relations ploy to forestall more school systems from banning junk food from vending machines on school grounds."
Swann said he was present as an individual, not as a representative of the Council, and was concerned about children's lack of physical activity.
"Exercise is an essential part of what we do every day," Swann said to a Washington, D.C. America Scores soccer team. "It's not just about playing soccer. When you come back into school, it increases your endurance. If you feel tired in school, exercise helps you get energy to keep going."
In addition to the nutrition ranking and labeling on vending machines, the Balance for Life campaign emphasizes increased exercise and physical activity for children. America Scores, a nation-wide after school soccer program targeted mostly at inner-city youth in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver, and San Francisco/Oakland, is one way to get that exercise.
"Soccer is the most popular sport in the world," said America Scores President, Paul Caccamo. "Most kids grow up being introduced to soccer as their first sport or team."
America Scores said it will support the Balanced for Life campaign by integrating nutrition education into its participating school systems and communities, and by providing bi-lingual Balanced for Life educational material to students, parents, and school administrators.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, lower income adolescents are twice as likely to be overweight compared to those from families above the federal poverty level. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2002, that children of parents with lower incomes and educational levels were less likely to participate in physical activity.
"As a father, a coach, a science teacher, and a high school principal, I've had a lot of exposure to the trends impacting kids' health and wellness," said Jay T. Engeln, Resident Practitioner for School/Business Partnerships for the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "I've watched and worried as more and more of our young people have become less active."
In his position, Engeln focuses on fostering partnerships between businesses and the schools and communities they serve. He supports keeping vending machines in schools as a learning tool for making healthy choices and a source of revenue that can be directed back at students.
"I think the kind of collaboration between the vending machine industry and schools is an important example of ways we can begin to encourage healthy choices and active lifestyles with our young people," Engeln said.
Engeln said with state and federal budgets for schools being so tight, revenue must come from other sources to help pay for activities like student government, teacher training, school clubs, music programs, community outreach, school dances and athletic programs, among others.
Based on his experience as principal of a high school in Colorado, where revenue from 18,000 students was $30,000 per year, Engeln said a conservative estimate of the revenue generated from vending machines in schools across the United States is more than $2 billion per year.
Balanced for Life also launched a new Web site Friday, www.BalancedforLife.net, to reach internet-savvy children and their parents at home. Throughout the year, the campaign's three characters -- AJ the Athlete, Healthy Hazel and Shaun the Smart Guy -- struggle to become fit and healthy.
"NAMA's Balanced for Life campaign is one of the most important initiatives our industry has ever launched because it will help our nation's youth to understand how they can take steps to live better, healthier lives," Geerdes said.
NAMA expects all components of the Balanced for Life campaign to be in schools this spring.
