In a study of 1,300 sixth graders, University of Michigan researchers found that students who bought lunch at school consumed twice as many fatty meats and sugary drinks than kids who brought lunch from home. They also collected information about the students’ height, weight, and cholesterol levels over three years, which revealed that a 14.4% increase in obesity among school-bought lunch eaters.
I can understand why kids who buy lunch at school are more likely to consume “sugary beverages” — most lunch rooms have a soda vending machine — but it’s more concerning that they’re more likely to consume fatty meats (25.8% vs. 11.4%) and eat fewer vegetables (16.3% vs. 91.2%). Unless schools now have a fatty meats vending machine that I don’t know about.
Add this to the piling evidence that Michelle Obama is on the right page in her war against child obesity.
More at Endocrine Today. Photo by chidorian.
