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School Soda Ban Called Good First Step
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> Schools are a unique environment, Garza added. "By combining our brand product offerings with some of the physical and nutrition educational programs we already support, we feel we are helping to put the schools at the forefront of the issue of childhood obesity," she added.
An estimated 16 percent of U.S. teens (ages 12 to 19) and 15.3 percent of children (ages 6 to 11) are overweight, according to the American Obesity Association. The childhood obesity epidemic is being blamed for an increase in serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Overweight children can also struggle with problems of self-esteem.
According to the agreement, industry giants such as Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and the American Beverage Association will limit portion sizes and reduce the number of calories available to children during the school day. The deal was brokered by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint effort of the President William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association.
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Under the guidelines, only lower calorie and nutritious beverages will be sold to schools. The guidelines cap the number of calories available in beverages in schools at 100 calories per container, except for certain milks and juices whose nutritional value warrants the higher number of calories.
"Soda has been referred to as liquid candy, and this is rather apt," Katz said. "There is no nutritional value in soft drinks, and the regular varieties provide a considerable load of calories and a concentrated dose of sugar," he added.
The soda industry will work to apply the new standards to 75 percent of the nation's schools before the start of the 2008-2009 school year; full implementation is expected for the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.
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Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 5/3/2006
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SOURCES: Robert Eckel, M.D., president, American Heart Association, Dallas; Lisa Altshuler, M.D., director, Kids Weight Down Program, Maimonides Medical Center, New York City; Diana Garza, spokeswoman, Coca-Cola, Atlanta; David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of public health, director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.
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