By Elizabeth Hill
The Utah Medical Association wants vending machines out of Utah schools, but the move could cause a huge financial loss to the public schools that have them.
Roy Rodier of the Utah Medical Association is backing legislation that will ban 'Pouring Rights' in Utah schools. 'Pouring Rights' are a nickname for the exclusive contracts schools sign with vendors like Coke or Pepsi. Once schools sign these contracts, they can make up to $30,000 or $40,000 a year in revenue, according to the Utah Department of Health. Rodier said if students have the choice between junk food and healthy food, they will choose the junk.
According to the Utah Department of Health, 25 percent of Utah''s youth are at an unhealthy weight and, according to a study by Yale, one in four children nationally are showing early signs of Type 2 Diabetes.
'Type 2 Diabetes is genetically based, and you inherit a gene for insulin resistance,' said Susan Hill, a diabetes educator. 'Eating high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods found in vending machines can increase insulin resistance which over time can result in overt Type 2 Diabetes.'
Recent studies show American obesity is on the rise, but local school officials do not believe that taking the vending machines out of their schools will solve the problem.
'Here''s what''s frustrating. If they move the vending machines from the schools, it just means the students will leave school to find the food,' said Alan Ashton, assistant principal at Timpview High School. At least we''re keeping them here on campus.'
Ashton added that the school uses the money it receives from vending machine sales for funding programs like the school band, sports and computers in the classroom.
'If the money were gone, we''d have to cut programs,' Ashton said.
Ashton did not have current statistics on how much Timpview makes each year in vending machine sales.
Nadene Larsen of the Utah Department of Health said there can be a compromise.
'It''s not so much that our position is that there shouldn''t be vending machines in schools, but the vending machines in schools should offer healthy products,' Larsen said. 'Schools are learning environments and what we sell in schools should fit with what we tell in schools.'
Administrators at Independence High School in Utah County have done research over the last year and decided to change the products they sell in their vending machines.
'This year we went from soda and candy, to vending juices, water and milk,' said Jose Enriquez, vice principal of Independence High School. 'Most of our students struggled in the main stream schools. We decided to help in any little way we can.'
However, Ashton does not believe changing the products Timpview sells would make a difference.
'Is it healthy? Absolutely not-but, I guarantee that if I put granola bars and powerbars in the vending machines they''d go stale,' he said.