The recent School Food Report Card released by the Center for Science in the Public Interest is a positive indication in Alabama as to how far the state has progressed in eliminating junk food from our schools.

Alabama received a grade of B+, along with Nevada, Arkansas, New Mexico and California. Kentucky received the highest score with an A-.

We applaud the Butler County School System for taking an active role in promoting healthy eating habits among our children. Fast food and junk snacks

– like potato chips, candy bars, and greasy, fried burgers - have long been staples in every American's diet. For years, school lunchrooms only seemed to reinforce a trend towards eating bad things, even, ironically, as a mandatory health class advocated eating right.

While it's promising to know that Alabama's children are being offered healthier items in school, the next step should be to actively encourage physical education. Diet and what you eat play an important part in eliminating obesity and added fat, but exercise is just as vital, ramping up the metabolism, building strong bones and muscles, and reducing the risks of disease. Physical education, once a required part of the curriculum, has long since been lost in the schools. We'd like to see that trend reversed.