Food law might be helping battle of bulge; Luke and Dave dubious

Can curbing junk food for kids help in the battle of the bulge? A new study finds at least a small difference in states that have stronger laws(AP Photo)

There may be a small bright spot for kids battling the bulge. New research finds laws limiting junk food in schools seems to be having at least a small effect in curbing obesity.

The study in the Journal of Pediatrics, found kids gained less weight in states that had laws governing snacks in schools and children considered overweight in 5th grade were more likely to reach a healthy weight if they live in states with the strongest laws.

But Luke Burbank of the Ross and Burbank Show isn’t impressed.

“That doesn’t sound like it’s having a large effect. Maybe a little better. Does that prove any kind of causality?” Burbank asks.

After a weekend jog on the promenade in Seaside, Oregon, Burbank is convinced the real change needs to happen with parents first, not the kids.

“Every family I walked by where the parents were normal size and clearly at least occasionally made good decisions about food and occasionally got out and did some exercise, their kids were normal size.”

So do you simply shelve the laws restricting high-calorie, low nutrition foods in schools and other public places? Dave Ross isn’t so sure.

“I think in any group, there’ll be a certain percentage of kids who will be able to use those laws as a reason to not eat bad. I’m glad they have some effect,” Ross says.

But both hosts are dubious any laws can have a tangible effect on the battle of the bulge.

“If an adult who is looking at their fat overweight kid isn’t motivated just by the sight of that kid to do something, what could we possibly do as a government to motivate them?” asks Ross.

Burbank agrees the laws do little, especially when it comes to kids.

“This notion that you’re going to convince some 11-year-old to put down the flaming hot Cheeto’s, it’s just never going to happen.”

Despite the apparent limited effects and proof the laws influenced kids’ weight, the results raised optimism among obesity researchers and public health experts who generally applaud strong laws to get junk food out of schools.

“This is the first real evidence that the laws are likely to have an impact,” said Dr. Virginia Stallings, director of the nutrition center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Stallings chaired an Institute of Medicine panel that urged standards for making snack foods and drinks sold in schools more healthful, but was not involved in the new research.

But Burbank argues until the parents make a change, their kids never will.

“I’m saying it’s not about taking the toys out of happy meals in San Francisco and it’s not about putting apples in the vending machine in Kenosha, it’s about parents getting off their fat asses and setting an example for their kids,” Burbank says.