School Wellness Policy Bans Bake Sales

New York City’s latest school wellness policy bans bake sales. The traditional sale of cupcakes and brownies to raise money for school teams and clubs has ended.

The new policy also limits what can be placed in vending machines and student run stores.

According to the Education Department, about 40 percent of the city’s elementary and middle school students are overweight or obese. The department released a survey in July that showed a link between student health and performance on standardized tests.

Howard Wechsler, director of the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said New York’s regulations are among the strictest in the country.

Dr. Wechsler added, “There are more schools that are making more changes in what is available for kids at school. Schools are supposed to be a place where we establish a model environment, and the last thing kids need is an extra source of pointless calories.”

I guess we’ll all be buying a lot more wrapping paper this year if every school wellness policy bans bake sales!