Originally published August 30 2005
American Beverage Association recommends limiting soft drinks in schools
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The American Beverage Association has announced that it recommends limiting the availability of soft drinks in the nation's schools in an effort to combat the growing childhood obesity problem, Business Week reports.
The American Beverage Association on Tuesday recommended limiting the availability of soft drinks in schools across the country, saying the industry needs to help fight the increasing rate of childhood obesity.
ABA President and CEO Susan Neely was to formally announce the organization's policy recommendation Wednesday at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Seattle.
Neely argues soft drinks aren't inherently bad but she wants parents to have the assurance that their children aren't drinking an excessive amount of sweetened drinks at school.
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 elementary schools.
Under the group's recommendation, middle school students would 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 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.
"Parents tell us they'd like help in determining what products are sold in schools, and we're listening," Dawn Hudson, president and chief executive officer, Pepsi-Cola North America, said in a statement.
Pepsi and Coca-Cola already had guidelines in place that prevented the sale of soda to students in elementary schools.
An estimated 9 million schoolchildren ages 6-19 nationwide are overweight, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Several states have considered or enacted laws establishing nutrition standards in schools, including whether students should have access to vending machine soft drinks.
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