Originally published August 26 2005
ABA calls for soda ban in schools
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Childhood obesity has led to a soft drink ban in many schools, led by the American Beverage Association.
The American Beverage Association recommended that soda and other sweetened beverages be pulled from vending machines at elementary schools across the United States, saying the industry needs to help fight the increasing rate of childhood obesity.
ABA president and CEO Susan Neely was to announce the organisation's new policy recommendation on Wednesday at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Seattle.
Neely argues soft drinks aren't inherently bad, and are fine for physically active children who eat a balanced diet.
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 on Tuesday to work with school districts to ensure that vending machines stock only bottled water and 100% 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 organisations that may hold meetings at the school, but the beverages couldn't be available during school hours.
"The focus of the policy is on what the industry thinks makes sense as far as addressing childhood obesity and responding to what parents want for their children in schools," she said.
An estimated nine million American schoolchildren between the ages of six and 19 nationwide are overweight, according to the federal Centres 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.
Of the 38 states that considered legislation this year dealing with school nutrition, 15 enacted legislation that addressed the issue in some way, said Amy Winterfeld, a health policy analyst with the state legislatures group.
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