Teens buying what they're sold

Parents are always trying to get their teens to eat healthfully, serving them healthy breakfasts and dinners as often as they can. But what about the hours in between? It's during those times, which typically fall around the normal school lunch period, that many kids make their own dietary choices. And, as a recent CDC study discovered, most high schools aren't offering the type of healthy choices you are at home.

A CDC study of 36 states found that in some states, it's very easy for teens to get unhealthy junk food both in their lunch lines or throughout the day in vending machines.

Amazingly, this is actually an improvement over recent years. In a related study, the percentage of high schools selling junk food during lunch periods dropped from 53 percent in 2004 to about 37 percent in 2006. However, there was not any change in the percentage of high schools selling junk food during non lunchtime hours, such as candy in vending machines or in the school store.