First thought:
That's right, encourage anorexia in seventh grade girls.

Second thought:
Good idea, but dieting generally makes people heavier. But yes, it is good to get the soda and crap out of the vending machines . . .

I don't think it's necessarily about dieting. There's food available, just not sweets and fried stuff. No one is being encouraged to only eat salad. It's just making food at school limited to things that are relatively healthy (although hamburgers are questionable).

I really like the plant sale rather than a bake sale.

Aside from the usual "vegetarian = salad" issue, I'm glad to see some schools taking a stand on the junk food problem. The article even points out the real force behind those vending machines: money. Peddling sugar water to kids brings in cash for the school and a lifetime of brand loyalty for the soda company, so there's lots of pressure (and incentive) to prefer lucrative junk food over expensive healthy food.

In other parts of the country, school districts can't afford food staff so they order pizza for the students every day. Cut-rate pizza. Tell me that isn't a little bit frightening.

Oh, but on the dieting front: sigh. Nutrition does not mean dieting. I'd much rather have a heavy, healthy kid than one who is thin but lives mostly on soda and Twinkies. Eat nutritious food and get outside a little, and I bet the pounds will take care of themselves without having to count them.

(Hm. Do people still eat Twinkies? Am I showing my age?)