A study released recently is showing a link to schools that allow junk food and sugary drinks to be sold with an uptick in childhood obesity.

According to an Associated Press report this week, states with strict laws on sales of junk food and sweetened drinks in school have a slightly lower rate of obesity compared with states that do not have strict guidelines for school food.

The study looked at 6,300 students in 40 states. Their heights and weights were measured in spring of 2004, when they were finishing fifth grade, and again in 2007, during the spring of their eighth grade year. In states with strong laws prohibiting junk food, nearly 39 percent of fifth-graders were overweight when the study began, which fell to 34 percent when they reached eighth grade. The 21 percent of fifth-graders who were considered obese dropped to about 18 percent in the eighth grade.

In states without laws banning junk food sales to students, almost 37 percent of fifth-graders were overweight and 21 percent were obese, and there were no significant changes to the numbers by the time those students reached eighth grade.

In Maine, public schools cannot sell foods and drinks that are of “minimal nutritional value” to students. There are a few exceptions for such products, for teachers and staff and for community events that are open to the public and held on school property. For example, a vending machine with snacks and sodas would be permitted in a teacher’s room and a fundraiser held on school grounds could sell such items as long as they were not being sold to students during the school day.

Maine, like other states with laws against junk food in schools, follows the guidelines provided by the USDA, which outline what is defined as a food or beverage of “minimal nutritional value.” According to statute, minimal nutritional value includes foods with artificial sweeteners that provide less than 5 percent of the Reference Daily Intake for each of the eight specified nutrients per serving; and, for all other foods, those that provide less than 5 percent of the RDI for each of eight specified nutrients per 100 calories and less than 5 percent of the RDI for each of eight specified nutrients per serving.

The eight nutrients are: Protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, calcium and iron. The definition includes foods that are part of the school’s food service program, and foods and beverages sold at food sales, school stores and in vending machines.

These laws are important in teaching students about healthy choices, and it’s encouraging that Maine is doing its part to keep young people from eating candy bars, chips and soda while in school. Aside from the measurable impacts on paper, keeping these foods and drinks out of schools may help young people stay away from them later in life. Typically, people eat and drink what is familiar to them, so children who were not raised on soda are unlikely to have an affinity for it later in life. The same goes for snack foods ”“ and all eating habits, for that matter.

The study pointed out that recent estimates say nearly one in every five elementary school children nationwide is obese ”“ obese, not just overweight.

This is truly an epidemic and could lead to generations of adults with major healthy problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, blood pressure problems and heart disease. We need to get the problem under control and begin to reverse this trend.

Starting in the schools makes sense, and this study should be a wake-up call to leaders across the country to impose strict laws on the foods sold to students in schools. Nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices need to become part of the curriculum and be reinforced in the cafeteria. Maine is doing its part and should continue to look at ways to keep children healthy.

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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham representing the majority opinion of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.