Vending Machines Provide Poor Choices

MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A healthier array of snacks in school vending machines could help reduce the epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes, according to research presented at the Obesity Society's annual meeting held Oct. 3 to 7 in Phoenix.
Amy Virus, R.D., of Temple University in Philadelphia, and colleagues from the HEALTHY Study -- a national program to reduce childhood obesity and diabetes -- collected nutritional data from 42 schools, three-quarters of which had vending machines.
The researchers found that 28 percent of vending machines offered drinks with added sugar (which contained an average of 280 calories per drink). Other commonly available snacks included 100 percent fruit juices (which often contained extra-large servings), reduced-fat chips, low-fat ice cream and baked goods (which contained an average of 480 calories per package).
"The program's goal is to ultimately remove all juice and sugar-added beverages, offer water instead and eliminate candy from vending machines," Virus said in a statement.