The Rolling Meadows High Pacer on ... youth obesity

Often newspapers look at the topic of obesity from the perspective of parents or authority figures who want to help their kids stay healthy. Here, a high school reporter tackles where personal choice comes into the matter.

The nation's largest beverage distributors -- including Coke, PepsiCo and Cadbury Schweppes -- have banded together in an effort to help end adolescent obesity, which dictates no longer selling full-calorie sodas in high schools across the country.

While the plan has yet to reach a national level, District 214 schools have already begun their efforts in schools including Rolling Meadows High School.

Vending machines at RMHS no longer carry sugary and caloric drinks, and a new vending machine featuring a glass window, allowing all drinks to be visible, has been installed in RMHS.

The decision came from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (AHG), a faction of the William J. Clinton Foundation.

But district officials were not included among the decision-making panel.

"We were simply informed of the decision and told that beverage companies would sell us only diet drinks. Otherwise they would sell us nothing at all," Sue MacDonald said.

MORE COVERAGEWhat made the front page at Rolling Meadows High? Find out here.MacDonald is a registered dietitian and the Director of Food Services for District 214.While MacDonald agrees the change will be helpful in ending obesity among high school students, she also expresses frustration in the AHG's unwillingness to include district and school officials in the decision-making process."The AHG did not seek input from school personnel, and we had no opportunity to provide an opinion," MacDonald said. MacDonald, who says both schools and the beverage distributors of Coke, 7-Up and Pepsi will lose money from the decision, also pointed out how the change will prohibit students from making their own health choices and referenced last year's "Red, Yellow and Green" sticker campaign as a more proactive methods of reducing obesity."With the stickers, students were told which items in the vending machines were healthy and which were not. Admittedly, all students did not use the stickers beneficially, but the incentive was still there," MacDonald said.According to the plan, students will only be allowed to buy non-diet sodas during football games and other school functions, as their parents will likely be present to guide their choice. During school hours, however, non-diet drinks have been replaced with diet sodas and a variety of flavored waters. Lin Rakittke, Food Services Manager of RMHS, was informed of the change just as the school year began. Rakittke agrees the choice to live a healthy lifestyle lies with the student."I believe the choice should be the consumer's, especially at the high school level. These students know about their bodies and what is best for them," Rakittke said. Health teacher Jeff Adkins is a proponent of the change, despite some studies that show the artificial sugar in diet drinks may not be healthy, either."Obesity is something we all see and cancer, while sometimes something we see, can have more to do with genetics." Adkins said. "Overall, you can't pinpoint cancer. "While the artificial sugars can help cancer form in a person already genetically exposed to cancer, it won't actually cause the cancer," he continued. "Diet drinks do have less calories, and including them in your diet can be directly linked to stopping obesity."Rakittke reported negative responses among students, specifically a petition circulating among the school asking for the return of non-diet drinks. The petition has not reached the administration, and Rakittke doesnÃÆ#146;Æâ#128;™Ãƒâ#128;šÃ#130;circ;cent;ÃÆ#146;Ã#130;circ;cent;Ãcirc;cent;Ãcent;â#128;šcirc;not;Ã#133;circ;iexcl;Ãâ#128;šÃ#130;circ;not;ÃÆ#146;Ã#130;circ;cent;Ãcirc;cent;Ãcent;â#128;šcirc;not;Ã#133;circ;frac34;Ãâ#128;šÃ#130;circ;cent;t consider a petition a viable way to bring back the drinks."Unfortunately, I don't see how a petition will help the students get what they want. Since the administration had nothing to do with the decision, the petition would have to go straight to the AHG, and it won't have the same impact. It's out of our hands," Rakittke said.Freshman Lijia Lukose, who was not aware of the petition, also objects to the decision."I don't really think it's a good idea because, personally, I drank non-diet pop all my life and I'm not enormous. It's not really the pop, but the choices," Lukose said.Nonetheless, the change is not temporary and, according to the AHG, should be a national one by 2009.