In order to showcase the positive or negative results of implemented programs, regardless of the market or area of focus, data must be collected that can show the benefits or drawbacks of trial groups. When dealing with the subject of managing issues of obesity in an educational setting, it is important to make sure that all of the different groups affected are adequately analyzed but also to make note of the differences in the unique target populations. In the article entitled Breaking Habits: The Effect of the French Vending Machine Ban on School Snacking and Sugar Intakes two of the key aspects of any research evaluation are covered: long term effects of changes and the effects on sub-groups in a study.
Like with many of the issues surrounding the subject of obesity management in children on a global scale, the individual country being analyzed directly impacts both the base levels on nutrition within the country but also the subsequent chance of a child being stricken with the problems of obesity. In the US, for example, childhood obesity is an issue epidemic proportions because of the fact that so many children show signs of dealing with obesity but also the subsequent mental and physical ramifications on their bodies. “According to data from the 2013/2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, one in five U.S. children aged between 12 and 19 exceeded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut-off point for childhood obesity, a figure which has almost doubled over the last 20 years” (Capacci, Mazzocchi, & Shankar 1). Although the study being analyzed in the case of this article is a nationwide concern for France, a correlation on a global scale can still be seen because even though the United States that have a higher level of obesity this is not mean that high sugar intake does not exist even in countries which try to remain as healthy as possible. As a result, it is important to note that this particular article focuses on the effects of the ban on school snacking and sugar intake throughout a variety of different age groups as they have shown that different ages do you react to the effects differently.
One of the key components that helps with this particular article is the fact that it does attempt to look at different correlations between students of different age ranges. Even though students are affected by a national band across the board, it does not mean that they are all affected equally. This is because of the fact that some students either are more likely to bring in snacks from the outside or, at the same time, they have more access to vending machines because older students tend to be seen as more responsible and therefore a given more levity with how they actually interact with any machine. It is shown in the article that the“effectiveness is still disputed because of potential compensation effects (Taber et al., 2014), that is, those children who cannot purchase their snacks or sodas from VMs because of the ban may still get them outside school, with no reduction of their daily intakes” (Capacci, Mazzocchi, & Shankar 3). This could be due to financial considerations in conjunction with ban effectiveness. As a result, economic as well as age factors are taken into consideration by this article and showcase how different groups will react differently to the band. In particular, the fact that students in a school setting are isolated from their parents or have access to vending machines where they are able to access higher sugar content goods each have an impact on the effectiveness on banning sugary snacks in a school setting. As a result, the differentiation between different groups is even more paramount to understanding the effects on the van as instituted on a nationwide movement such as in France. “When considering all meals except the morning snack we find a significant in-crease in sugar intakes, which is suggestive of compensation effects. Research in clinical nutrition associates sweetness with a short-term satiation effect, even when the energy intake is low” (Capacci, Mazzocchi, & Shankar 4). While Michelle Obama is a key example of a first lady who tried to revolutionize be eating habits of students in school lunches, vending machines still provide an outlier that is not directly impacted by school ordinances unless they are done in a way that can help to reduce sugar intake across the board.
For any article that reviews a government policy must be reviewed with a grain of salt. And due to the fact that more often than not people have a skewed view on government regulations, articles such as Breaking Habits: The Effect of the French Vending Machine Ban on School Snacking and Sugar Intakes tend toward viewing these issues work from only one point of view. What then are the biggest issues brought up when looking at the subject of France as a key demographic? Primarily, one might argue that different countries will have vastly different reactions to bans on sugary content in the food in vending machines. In fact, this article actually showcases that the level of school that a student is in has an even greater impact than the overall ban itself on whether or not a student will be able to minimize their sugar intake. “According to the policy setting, the student’s school level determines her exposure to the ban. Since school levels depend on age, we use age as the assignment variable for the intervention” (Capacci, Mazzocchi, & Shankar 7). However, a key component for this article is the fact that it doesn’t attempt to look from different perspective and also attempt to use different modeling techniques so as to help alleviate the conflicting data that the researchers perceive. This is relatively unique because more often than not articles of this typed into focus on only one variable or one contacts crew. The methods utilized by Capacci, Mazzhocchi, and Shankar focuses on “model specification allows for fuzziness in the assignment rule, but it is useful to compare our results to the more restrictive assumption of a sharp assignment. This comparison assesses the extent to which our results depend on the fuzzy specification” (Capacci, Mazzocchi, & Shankar 10). As a result, the overall article actually benefit because it does allow for more variation within the group being analyzed. Instead of focusing on one group, they try to create an overarching analysis that tries to see whether or not the policy is a whole is effective. While they are not able to give a definite answer on every aspect of effectiveness, they do give unique perspectives on a holistic approach to the subject matter.
In the end, children and sugar intake is a hot point issue for countries around the world. In some countries, such as the United States, the issue is more heated due to the fact that it does have a higher rate of childhood obesity nationwide. While looking at the overall content of the study, Breaking Habits: The Effect of the French Vending Machine Ban on School Snacking and Sugar Intakes looks at the subject from a variety of perspectives while giving quantitative backing. It provides a strong basis for understanding the subject while also looking at a variety outcomes in the field.
Works Cited
Capacci, Sara, et al. “Breaking Habits: The Effect of the French Vending Machine Ban on School Snacking and Sugar Intakes.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, vol. 37, no. 1, 2017, pp. 88–111., doi:10.1002/pam.22032.
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