Soft Drink Limit
to Cut Obesity
Aug 21, 2005
The American Beverage Association is recommending limiting
the availability of soft drinks in schools across the
country, a move that comes amid increased pressure to
curb the epidemic of childhood
obesity.
ABA President and CEO Susan Neely said parents should
have the assurance that their children aren't drinking
an excessive amount of sweetened drinks at school.
The trade group represents companies that manufacture
and distribute non-alcoholic beverages.
"Childhood obesity is a real problem," Neely
told The Associated Press.
"The individual companies have been doing several
things to be part of the solution and there was an agreement
among all of our leadership that we needed to take another
step and take it as an industry."
She was scheduled to formally announce the organization's
new policy recommendation on Wednesday at the annual
meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures
in Seattle.
The association's board voted unanimously Tuesday to
work with school districts to ensure that vending machines
stock only bottled water and 100 percent juice
in primary schools, although most of these schools are
already soda-free.
The group is also suggesting that middle school students
_ who are typically ages 12 to 14 _ have access to additional
drinks, like sports drinks, no-calorie soft drinks and
low-calorie juice drinks. Middle schools could have
additional machines with soft drinks and full-calorie
juice drinks available for organizations that may hold
meetings at the school, but the beverages couldn't be
available during school hours.
High school students _ who are teenagers _ would have
access to all types of drinks, including soda, but no
more than 50 percent of the vending machine selections
would be soft drinks.
The association's recommendation isn't binding, but
Neely said the 20-member board represents 85 percent
of the bottlers involved in school vending.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi said they supported the move.
"These guidelines mark a commitment by the industry
to provide schools with beverages that offer variety,
nutrition and fewer calories, and are very similar to
the Coca-Cola System's current guidelines in the U.S.,"
said Don Knauss, President and COO, Coca-Cola North
America.
Dawn Hudson, president and CEO of Pepsi-Cola North
America, added in a statement that "parents tell
us they'd like help in determining what products are
sold in schools, and we're listening."
An estimated 9 million schoolchildren ages 6-19 nationwide
are overweight, according to the federal Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Since 1980, the number
of overweight children has doubled, and the number of
overweight adolescents has tripled, according to the
CDC.
Source: http://www.finance24.com
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