Making a Liar Out of Myself

I claimed a few months ago that I was making my only epidemiological post ever, as I would leave the chatter about public and personal health to Emily.

Well, to paraphrase our President, fool you once shame on me, fool you twice, um shame, um.... let's see, uh well, I guess, uhhhhh, don't get fooled again.

So on with the Epidemiology. Emily has told me in the past about studies that have shown kids will purchase healthy drinks out of a vending machine when they are cheaper (or maybe even the same price--I can't remember) than soda pop. The point being if you give kids options they may surprise adults with their nutrition choices.

Those of you who shop at Whole Foods or your local co-op are probably familiar with the ubiquitous Stonyfield Farms line of yogurt and other organic dairy products. They now have yogurt vending machines in select schools throughout the country and are looking to expand.

I would like to think that I would have bought some yogurt back in high school, if I had the choice, instead of a Coke. When I had twenty minutes to burn between the end of the school day and track or cross country practice, or when I would stay late working on the school paper, I usually spent that time with a Coke from the school's vending machine. I didn't necesarrily crave that Coke, it's just that it was there to buy and nothing else was.

I hope the kids that have these healthier choices take advantage of them. Nothing like using the market forces to drive a student health intiative.

Click here for a nice story about the Stonyfield Farms project, or here for a general story about machines that offer healthy choices.