“Empty Calories: Commercializing Activities in America’s Schools” is available from the Commercialism in Education Research Unit at Arizona State University.
Efforts to curb commercialism in schools are aimed largely at improving children’s health, a study found.
According to the report, published by the Commercialism in Education Research Unit at Arizona State University in Tempe, most attempts to limit school commercialism focus on banning sales of junk food and soft drinks in K-12 schools. The report notes that fiscal pressures often force schools to accept vending contracts, but that citizen groups and state and local governments have increased their opposition to the contracts over the past year in order to promote student health and nutrition.
The study is based on media references to commercialism in schools between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005.