The food and beverage industries are coming around to support some efforts in Washington to limit the sale of junk food in school vending machines, the Washington Post suggests . There are a few reasons for the shift. For one thing, many companies now have divisions that could profit from a shift to healthier foods. Coca-Cola, for example, might not mind so much if kids drank less Coke — as long as they switched to Dasani water, another Coca-Cola product. What’s more, as states look to fight childhood obesity, they’re considering taking matters into their own hands to create local regulations. A dozen states already have rules on what foods can be sold at schools, beyond the lunch line. And the industry would rather follow (and try to influence) a single, national standard, as opposed to a patchwork of state rules. An official at the American Beverage Association , the big trade group, put it somewhat differently.

“We recognize that childhood obesity is a complex problem that will take comprehensive solutions. And our industry is stepping up to do our part,” he said. Not everyone’s on board — the National School Boards Association argues that what children are fed in schools should be a decision left to local communities, the WaPo notes. But the article also says that in Kentucky, many schools switched to healthier snacks in vending machines without seeing the decline in revenue many feared. There could be some action on this front later this summer, when Congress is likely to reauthorize existing school nutrition programs. Meanwhile, bills have been introduced in both houses to mandate new standards for food sold to students at school. Bonus Drink : Read our post on the debate over taxing soda to help finance health-care reform. Image: iStockphoto

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Why Industry May Back Limits on Junk Food in Schools