Vending Machine Snacks and Health Issues

ANN ARBOR, Mich.According to recent research from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University and reported by AOL Health, students who purchase snack foods from vending machines have a higher degree of risk for developing unhealthy dietary habits, which can subsequently lead to obesity and risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease. The results of this research were published in the Sept. issue of the Journal of School Health.

Dr. Madhuri Kakarala, clinical lecturer, University of Michigan Medical School, told AOL Health that very little published data exists making the connection between snack food choice and risk of developing health conditions. I dont want to project the message that vending machines are bad, she said, noting that minimal regulations exist for competitive venues, a school foodservice category that includes vending machines, school snack shops and school stores that can offer alternatives to the USDA-governed school lunch program options.

The researchers examined the records of 2,309 students from grades 1 through 12 from all around the United States. Data on food intake over the past 24 hours was gathered for the students via questionnaires.

Results from the questionnaires showed that roughly 22% of the students purchased food from the competitive venues, including vending machines. The researchers found that the highest level of vending machine use was in high schools, and that 88% of high schools have vending machines (whereas 52% of middle schools and 16% of elementary schools have vending machines).

The location of the vending machines also impacts their frequency of use. Kakarala noted that if the vending machines are located in the cafeteria, they are more frequently used due to easier access during mealtimes.

Two-thirds of the drinks sold via vending machines and other alternate venues are soda. For elementary school students, the most-common snacks are fried foods and desserts, noted the authors. Beverages other than milk and fruit juice are the most-common items purchased by middle and high-school students. The list of commonly purchased snacks included chips, crackers, cookies, cakes, ice cream and candy.

Kakarala told AOL Health that the foods purchased via competitive venues like vending machines are typically contributing 300 extra calories to each students diet. Over time, it could actually contribute to obesity, diabetes and coronary artery disease.

The researchers also found that students who eat food from vending machines and other alternate sources take in much higher levels of sugar and much lower levels of iron, vitamin B and dietary fiber.

The researchers findings did not show any substantial difference in what types of snacks the students ate based on their socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity.

The foods that children are exposed to early on in life influence the pattern for their eating habits as adults, said Kakarala. Childhood obesity, resulting from poor dietary choices such as those found in this study, greatly increases the risk for many chronic diseases. She suggests that school administrators and health officials should collectively work to help ensure that competitive venues for snacks, including vending machines, offer more healthy alternatives, perhaps even pricing them lower than less-healthy choices.

Previous research has demonstrated a link between the nutritional content in school lunches and childrens health, but this study is reportedly the first to narrow the focus to food and drink sold in venues that compete with the federal governments school-lunch offerings.