Hello people, it’s Brian Knopke. Here is another video for vending machines in schools. I have heard that many schools are filling their vending machines half with healthy snacks and half unhealthy snacks. What are students going to buy? Telling the students to eat better will not encourage them to buy healthy snacks or solve the childhood obesity problem. The reason is big food companies do branding. Can we compete with the big boys? See how to avoid a losing battle against unhealthy snacks.
Obesity Gets Knocked Out by Healthy Vending Machines Thanks to the Boys & Girls Club of Ada County, ID!
July 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Muhammad Ali. Joe Louis. Sugar Ray Robinson.
Obesity and malnutrition would rather step into the ring with these boxing greats than the Boys & Girls Club of Ada County, Idaho.
The mission of the Boys & Girls Club is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
Gotta love ‘em.
On July 20th, the Garden City and Meridian clubs joined the fight to promote health for its kids by implementing a state of the art healthy vending program through H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending. With a high tech machine installed at each club, the positive and measurable impact on the kids’ health has begun.
Star athletes from Boise State and nutrition experts participated in an educational event before unveiling the machines, speaking to the children about the importance of nutrition and exercise at the Moseley Center.
CHECK OUT THE NEWS COVERAGE OF THE EVENT!
Local H.U.M.A.N. operators Amy and John Hobbing are excited to be the first exclusive healthy vending operators in Idaho: “As leaders in the Treasure Valley have come to realize, poor nutrition and obesity are not just bad for kids, but its bad for business. One out of every three adults and children are now classified as overweight or obese. The cost of poor health is well documented: lost productivity, higher healthcare costs and a lower quality of life. We have decided to take a stand against poor health and help innovative organizations and leaders like the Boys & Girls Club bring the right kind of tools to help kids and adults with better nutritional choices. Lastly, we want people to know that good health can taste good!”
When I was a kid, I couldn’t tell you the difference between sodium and simple carbohydrates. Heck, most of the time I couldn’t even match my socks. Not surprisingly, not much has changed. In Garden City, the kids crowded around the colorful and high-tech machine feeding it quarters and excitedly retrieving their snacks as reporters quizzed them on what the basic ingredients were. The look on the kids’ faces said it all: “I don’t know, lady, I just know it tastes good!”
With a customized array of snacks chosen for both taste and nutritional content, kids and parents were not disappointed.
I have to say that nothing warms my heart more than seeing a kid chugging Hansen’s soda instead of Pepsi. My wife was offended by this because apparently our wedding video should take precedence, but that’s neither here nor there.
And as childhood obesity rates soar throughout the country, the Boys & Girls Club in Ada County, Idaho has scored a first round knockout.
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