Community Corner

Would You Support a Ban on Chocolate Milk at Your Child's School?

A Decatur schools committee has recommended eliminating chocolate milk for K-3 students and phasing it out for higher grades. It also recommends phasing out highly processed foods, such as muffins, waffles and French toast.

A recommendation by a City Schools of Decatur committee to eliminate chocolate milk for students in kindergarten through third grade touched a nerve when the story was carried on the Facebook page of Dacula Patch.

"This just drives me nuts. I had lunch with my sons the other day & added up the calories of their school lunch - it was just over 200 calories. These kids are starving at school," one Patch reader commented. She went on to say, "Last year, I packed lunch - until my son (who's in the 5th percentile in weight - meaning in the very low end for his height) had his gogurt taken away because it wasn't healthy enough - its yogurt for gosh sakes! And, this kid is skinny as can be! And - I PACKED IT for MY KID. Yeah, there might be overweight kids, but what about the ones who really need to gain weight, have active lives & fast metabolisms?"

Another commenter said that her daughter swims five to six hours per week and does karate for another three.

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"She needs the calories. In fact, her swim coach even recommends chocolate milk for replenishing after a workout," she said.

Another commenter said a check of WebMD revealed the recommended daily caloric count for an active male age 4 to 8 is 1,600 per day.

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"That 220 calorie lunch is already not enough for our kids. Don't take more away," she commented. "Sorry, I think I'm sensitive on this topic... I have to watch my 48lb 7-year-old get crushed by 90 lb boys at football all of the time!" 

reported several other recommendations made to the city schools, which included eliminating highly processed versions of products, such as muffins, pancakes, waffles and French toast and replacing the foods with healthier versions.

With Georgia at No. 2 in the country for childhood obesity, according to Strong4Life.com, many feel this is an issue that needs to be addressed, but it appears others feel that banning chocolate milk could be taking it a little far.

Would you support a ban of chocolate milk in your child's elementary school or do you think that 220 calories for a elementary school student's lunch is already too low?


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