Sugar Free Zone:
Browns Mill Elementary

Web Exclusive Extended Interview
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The kids at Browns Mill Elementary School happily point out that they don't eat much sugar. How could this happen? Meet Yvonne Sanders-Butler Ph.D., the school principal, self-described reformed overeater, and driving force behind this groundbreaking "sugar free school." Sanders-Butler had lost 55 pounds through good old-fashioned diet and exercise and took a look around the school, where she had just become principal. She saw a lot of overweight kids, nurse referrals and discipline problems, and knew where change was needed: the cafeteria. Out went cakes, cookies and highly processed foods; in came fruits, vegetables, whole grains and complex carbohydrates. The results? Nothing short of amazing. "We saw discipline referrals drop by 23 percent," said Dr. Sanders-Butler. Nurse referrals also dropped by 30 percent, and test scores went up 15 percent. Parents and kids alike have embraced her message. As one student pointed out, "it makes me active and I can learn."