Vending Machines May Go on a Diet in Santa Ana

Inside vending machines in Santa Ana, the hot-fudge sundae Pop Tarts, Brownie Bites and Coke may soon make way for granola bars, dried mangos and bottled water.

In hopes of producing a skinnier city, the council is expected to approve an ordinance Monday that would require half of the options in city vending machines to be healthful.

“In a city where we have such a high rate of obesity and diabetes,” said Councilman Jose Solorio, “we should be compelled to do what we can to offer healthy eating options for our employees and residents.”

The move was spurred by a recent California Center for Public Health Advocacy study that showed the obesity rate among Santa Ana children to be 35%, one of the highest in the state. And more than 70% of Santa Ana adults are overweight or obese, according to a 2005 county report. Other Orange County cities, including Buena Park and Costa Mesa, fall within the same range.

The trend of legislating what can be sold in vending machines started in high schools and has spread to municipal governments. San Jose passed a policy similar to the one proposed in Santa Ana. Chula Vista went a step further, mandating two months ago that its vending machines contain no junk food.

The Santa Ana proposal has been pushed by Latino Health Access. “We don’t want to be the food police,” said Leah Frazier, director of policy for the local nonprofit. “But employees’ only choices shouldn’t be junk food.”

Many city employees who dropped into the City Hall lunchroom didn’t seem concerned about the proposed change.

“If they had some healthier food, I think I’d probably go to the machines more,” said Andrew Iles, an economic development staffer whose brown-bag lunch included a chicken breast, yogurt and an orange.

But Maribel Carmona said she probably wouldn’t be taking advantage of the new healthful choices. “It would be good for health-conscious people,” said Carmona, who complemented her pasta with an orange soda. “But I’m not one of those people. I wish I was.”

A total of 23 city parks and community centers would be affected by the proposed policy. About a dozen more vending machines are at the library, train depot, City Hall, Police Department and public works yard.

Gerardo Mouet, director of parks and recreation, said he would welcome a shift away from candy bars, potato chips and sodas. “Most of the leadership on this has been in the schools,” he said. “Usually, cities are focused on the bread-and-butter issues, like police, fire and parks and traffic. So it’s nice that they’ve delved into a public heath issue.”

Solorio said he had heard the argument that the city would lose money if the policy became law. He doesn’t see it that way: “By having healthy foods and snacks, you’re attracting a whole new market.”