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    Colo. lawmakers consider trans-fat ban in schools

    By KRISTEN WYATT | Associated Press – Thu, Feb 2, 2012

    DENVER (AP) — The nation's leanest state is taking aim at junk food in school cafeterias as it considers the nation's toughest school trans-fat ban.

    A Colorado House committee was scheduled to hear a bill Thursday to forbid any trans-fat in school food — not just the food served through regular cafeteria lunches.

    That would mean vending machines, after-school bake sales and popular "a la carte" items on lunch lines such as ice creams or pizza would have to be produced without artery-clogging trans fats.

    Several states already limit trans-fat in school cafeterias, but none has a trans-fat ban that extends before and after school. Delaware and California, for example, both ban school food with trans-fat, but not at all after-school activities.

    Colorado has the nation's lowest obesity rate, but young people are becoming fatter along with their counterparts in other states. In 2007, Colorado's childhood obesity rate was the nation's third-best. By 2010 it ranked 23rd according to the Colorado Health Foundation, a change researchers attribute to sedentary behavior and a growing childhood poverty rate.

    Lawmakers who sponsored the trans-fat ban — a Republican and a Democrat — said Colorado needs to step up healthy eating among children to hang onto its prized leanest-state title.

    "Colorado is one of the healthiest states but has the one of the highest rates of childhood obesity. So if we're going to do something about that, this is a step in the right direction," said one of the bill's sponsors, House Education Chairman Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs.

    The American Heart Association is working to assure skeptical Colorado lawmakers that the trans-fat ban wouldn't forbid childhood faves such as pizza and French fries. The bill also wouldn't affect naturally occurring trans-fat, such as that in beef and dairy.

    "You can still have the exact same food. You'd have to find different ways of preparing them," association lobbyist Susanna Morris said.

    Colorado's Department of Education says it doesn't have a statewide trans-fat standard. A spokeswoman for the state education department, Janelle Asmus, said a department review "found the amount of trans-fat in a school meal to be minimal" but added that the review didn't include items for sale in vending machines and after-school activities such as bake sales.

    The Legislature has not estimated how much the change would cost local schools. Supporters insist that schools could serve the same foods, just switch to trans-fat-free shortening and oils. The bill would require no changes to school kitchens or how food is prepared.

    Colorado's best-known school nutritionist says the complete trans-fat ban is do-able. Ann Cooper, author of the "Renegade Lunch Lady" blog, is in charge of food service at the Boulder Valley district, thought to be the only public school district in the state that is trans-fat free.

    "We don't serve convenience food, we don't serve junk food," Cooper said. "That's where the trans-fat is. You cook from scratch, it's not a problem cutting all the trans-fat."

    If approved, Colorado's trans-fat ban would take effect next school year. Supporters say the proposal may be amended to give schools more time to comply, a change they accept. The bill may also be amended to exempt fundraisers from the ban, protecting many sporting-event concessions such as nachos.

    ___

    Follow Kristen Wyatt at http://www.twitter.com/APkristenwyatt

    ___

    Online:

    Senate Bill 68: http://goo.gl/wrtBb

     

    24 comments

    • sodagrrl
      sodagrrl  •  3 mths ago
      "We don't serve convenience food, we don't serve junk food," Cooper said. "That's where the trans-fat is. You cook from scratch, it's not a problem cutting all the trans-fat." BINGO!!!

      Go back to preparing food from scratch for kids! It tastes better, is healthier and costs less money. Serve kids real food - not carnival food - and they will learn to enjoy the taste of real food more than the junk.
      • Sandy Brandt
        Sandy Brandt 3 mths ago
        But that would mean hiring cooks not people who only know how to use 2 kitchen appliances - a Can opener and microwave.
      • sodagrrl
        sodagrrl 3 mths ago
        Yes - it would. Which would mean more money spent on jobs - and less on pre-packaged junk food!
    • Sandy Brandt
      Sandy Brandt  •  3 mths ago
      It will be a great day for education when the parents finally ban government from the schools. Of course that will mean parents have to be responsible for their own kids.
      • shtstk
        shtstk 3 mths ago
        You said it so well, thank you
      • Leah
        Leah 3 mths ago
        They are called private schools. You can find a ton of them if you do a web search. But you are welcome to ban the government from schools, especially government FUNDING.
    • Gregory
      Gregory  •  Charleston, West Virginia  •  3 mths ago
      Are we the land of the free or did we take up where the communist USSR left off. Its long past time for ll the idiots in some position of power to quit trying to be GOD and legislating every aspect of everyones lives
      • Iris
        Iris 3 mths ago
        If it were the USSR, there would be food rations, not school lunch menus. The people who invented trans fats are the ones playing GOD!! Cook with ingredients from your beloved savior instead of eating chemicals! Eat as your GOD intends you to! Processed food ingredients are about as far away from GOD as possible--these ingredients are chemicals with harmful side effects used and they replace real ingredients to maximize the profits of the manufacturers. Profits before people, not GOD. Get a clue.
      • Leah
        Leah 3 mths ago
        If you want government out of schools, start with the government funding.
    • donald
      donald  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      Food sold at school should be healthy. We spend roughly 8 hours on average a day there for 9-10 months a year for 12 of our first 18 years of life so it is where we learn our eating habits outside the home and for many it would have a greater impact then the home. Not all baked products are bad for you so a compromise can be made in that category but I have no problem with public schools being forced to provide healthy foods even in the vending machines. I would draw the line at telling parents what they can provide for school lunches from home. While it may be a bad choice it would still be the parents’ choice on how to feed their children. As I remember it only high school students where ever allowed off campus during lunch without special permission and since they would be nearing the age of making their own choices legally I would also exempt any rules about them visiting fast food restaurants during school hours if their school allows them off campus for lunch. In short any such law should only cover those items that the school can be seen as supplying directly or controlling the supply (vending machines).
    • MAD DOG 1
      MAD DOG 1  •  Monacillo, Puerto Rico  •  3 mths ago
      How about putting a BAN on GOVT. BANS. Next the government is going to ban your civil rights!!!!!
      • donald
        donald 3 mths ago
        Public schools are just that public school. The public part means government. You pay for them through taxes. They are primarily run at city/town level but that is still government which is subject to county state and yes believe it or not Federal Government because they each in turn as governments are charged with the protection and encouragement of prosperity of the citizens of said governments. This has been part of the definition of government since the first group of people got together to form a community at the beginning of time. We can argue how well government does this but it has always been part of governments job be it a monarchy, communist or democratic republic.
    • PeterR
      PeterR  •  Tampa, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      It's about time! Look around America! We are fat cause we are fast food freaks!! EAT HEALTHY!!
      • shtstk
        shtstk 3 mths ago
        You're an idiot. How about allowing people the freedom to be fat and unhealthy if they choose to be. Let them suffer the consequences of their bad habits. Do you really want the crooked politicians telling you want to eat, what car to buy, how much power you are allowed to use in your home? That is what is happening. What do you think the "smart meters" are all about? Don't ever give up any freedom no matter how insignificant it may seem.
      • Ulysses
        Ulysses 3 mths ago
        Your freedom to be a fat#$%$ and not carry insurance drives up costs for the rest of us, Shtsk
    • Jerry
      Jerry  •  3 mths ago
      Wasn't there a study done recently that said the school's "healthy" meals made no difference?
    • Leah
      Leah  •  3 mths ago
      Kudos for Colorado. Trans-fat is really nasty stuff.
    • El Kabong
      El Kabong  •  3 mths ago
      Colorado has a Republican majority...aren't they for less govt.???
    • Bruce
      Bruce  •  Chelsea, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      Don't they understand the law of unintended consequences? Trying to alter behavior by legislation is not going to be effective. Let the schools and parents work on this, not the legislators. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
    • shtstk
      shtstk  •  3 mths ago
      HeatherR you are wrong once you give up one seemingly small choice or freedom, it becomes more and more and all of the sudden you are no longer free. The Obama administration will make every less free, more poor, unable to afford food etc. Please wake up, if Obama wins the next election America as we no it will no longer exist. Seek out as much as you can about his policies and take time to read and think about them. I do not like any of the Rep. candidates either but sad as it may seem, any one of them is less dangerous to our freedom than the Obama administration.
    • Michael
      Michael  •  3 mths ago
      Watch the republicans step into this one.
    • Lee
      Lee  •  Baltimore, Maryland  •  3 mths ago
      I'm shocked that trans fat is still allowed in the US period. It's common knowledge that it's a man made substance to prolong shelf life, but caused your bad cholesterol to go up while at the same time lowering your good cholesterol. It's poison to our system.
    • Da Coronel
      Da Coronel  •  3 mths ago
      Ahh, California Wacky Radicalism has arrived in Colorado.
    • richard
      richard  •  3 mths ago
      somebody better start doing something about the fat pigs in this country
    • Ralph
      Ralph  •  Collinsville, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      Let's just put a weight for height limit and kill anyone that over its much simpler than having you idiots trying to make everyone conform to what you want
    • JennaK
      JennaK  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  3 mths ago
      At least the kids with lazy parents will be able to eat healthy for at least one meal per day. I say run with it. Why not? Who will it hurt? Nobody. Who will it help? The kids. If their parents want to load them up with crap, let them, but at least the school is looking out for the children.
    • HeatherR
      HeatherR  •  3 mths ago
      cut it from vending machines and school lunches - yes. Cut it from bake sale items - please be reasonable. how are you going to police that - brownie cops? besides it's not the occasionaly ingestion that is the problem, it is the continuous consumption that leads to problems.
    • Deborah
      Deborah  •  3 mths ago
      This is a good start. Now incorporate exercise in our kids daily school schedule. TEACH them healthy life styles.
    • The Delhi Llaama
      The Delhi Llaama  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      I am waiting for the welcome news that Bananas are to be banned, just because a chosen few have decided to take their pleasures as they will in a deviant manner.....(sarcasm intended)...........Whoof....
     Post a comment
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