At One School, Better Food = Better Behavior

Providing healthier food in schools is already becoming a trend—but educators might soon find a reason other than obesity to get rid of those vending machines. A school district in Wisconsin started replacing soda with water and junk food with fruits and vegetables 13 years ago, and something surprising happened: Student behavior started improving, Good reports.

The dropout rate, drug use, vandalism, weapons offenses, and other troubling behavior decreased, and one alternative high school no longer needed on-campus police, its principal tells the blog WELL Said. Previous studies have shown eating less sugar and fat leads to better grades and higher IQs, and this story—with its real-life examples—underscores the need to get “kids access to healthier food options earlier in life,” writes Nikhil Swaminathan.
(More healthy stories.)