There has been a push for schools to offer more healthful snacks and lunch choices and fewer sugary drinks.
Earlier this month Coca-Cola said it would stop selling sugary drinks in American schools unless parents requested them. Its competitors at Pepsi just announced that they will stop sales of sugared drinks to schools worldwide.
America's top public health officer wants to see more changes like this. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin recently spoke to lawmakers about making healthy foods more available.
REGINA BENJAMIN: "There is a growing consensus that we as a nation need to recreate our communities and environments where healthy choices are easy choices and affordable choices.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack -- who has talked about his own childhood struggles with weight -- agrees about the need.
TOM VILSACK: “We need to do a much better job of making sure that what's in those vending machines is very consistent. We think that the time has come for standards."
First lady Michelle Obama is leading a campaign to fight childhood obesity. Public health officials reported in January that seventeen percent of American children are severely overweight.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. For more health news, and to comment on our stories, visit us at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.
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2013-11-25
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