MIDWEST SCHOOLS CONTINUE SODA SALES BAN; SEE HEALTHY RESULTS L. A. SCHOOL DISTRICT HOPES FOR
IT STARTED OFF AS A CONTROVERSIAL HEALTHY EATING PROGRAM THAT WENT FAR BEYOND BANNING SODA SALES; NOW ITS A HIT WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
(PRWEB) September 5, 2002
MADISON – The decision by the Los Angeles School Board to ban soda sales comes as welcome news to Paul Stitt, President of the Essential Nutrient Research Corporation. Since 1994, Stitt has been directing the Peak Performance Program in schools throughout Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The program entails ridding schools of candy and soft drink machines and replacing it with readily available fruits, vegetables, whole grains and energy drinks. The results have been remarkable.
“I believe what they’ll find in Los Angeles will be astounding,” Stitt said, “we found getting students off sugar and on to real foods has helped them lose weight, become more conscious of the their health and kept them from being at-risk to illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.”
Though the purpose of the L. A. School BoardÂ’s decision is to combat childhood obesity, The 65 schools in the Peak Performance program have also recorded dramatic changes in student learning and behavior.
“We had kids who were identified as being violent, kids who were truant, kids who had a lot of problems,” said Dr. Thomas Scullen, Superintendent of the Appleton School District in Wisconsin, “we got through the whole last year without an expulsion. Drop-outs dropped to non-existent, when kids came to school they were happy; they have learned that with healthier foods its going to make them a better person and it keeps them focused in the classroom.”
The Peak Performance Program is the brainchild of Barbara Reed-Sitt. While Chief Probation Officer of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Stitt received national attention by developing a diet that helped change the behavior of many of her probationers.
“I discovered a huge proportion of people who were getting into trouble were junk food junkies – and the main culprits were soft drinks,” Stitt said, “and if taking probationers off sugar kept them out of jail, I knew it could work wonders in the classroom.”
By providing an opportunity for students to eat fresh salads and bagels and drink bottled water rather than soda, educators have discovered that their pupils are more eager to take care of themselves and get physically fit.
“The returning students are now the advocates for the program,” said high school teacher Mary Bruyette, “the kids encourage each other, they set the example and they demonstrate proper eating habits to the new kids.”
By pulling out their soda machines, Los Angeles schools are now facing a loss in revenue. Soda sales helped generate an annual average profit of $39,000 per high school. Paul Stitt is familiar with the difficult choice.
“New textbooks and band uniforms are important,“ Sitt said, “but when you combine the fact that more than half of the average American child’s daily liquid intake comes from high-calorie drinks and that one out of seven kids are overweight or obese, how can you not afford to invest in their future health and well being?”
The Essential Nutrient Research Corporation is a non-profit organization founded by Paul Stitt, M. S. (biochemistry, University of Wisconsin). Stitt is the recipient of the Ernst-Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Chip Award. He serves as a consultant to the National Cancer Institute and is a leading international authority on health and nutrition.
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