According to this Los Angeles Times article, the push to get sodas out of schools is growing stronger. Anti-soda measures are currently under consideration in many states and school districts.
The American Beverage Association has already made some policy changes in response, including resolving to remove sodas entirely from elementary schools, allow middle-school kids access to full-calorie sodas only after school hours, and make sure that, at most, only 50 percent of the vending machine beverages in high schools are soft drinks.
All Sugary Drinks are a Problem
Soft drinks are currently the primary source of added sugars, and studies connect them to obesity and nutrient deficits. Along with sodas, juice drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, coffee, and even fruit juice can also cause weight and health problems if drunk excessively. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children drink no more than 8 to 12 ounces of fruit juice daily.
More Than 46 Gallons of Soda a Year!
In 1976, soft drink sales surpassed those of milk. Soda consumption has doubled since 1971, from 25.5 gallons per person per year to over 46 gallons in 2003. At the same time, other sugary drinks have gained popularity, including sweetened teas, energy drinks, and sports drinks.
Your Body Simply Can't Handle It
Some scientists worry that calories from sugary drinks may not be adequately controlled by the body's appetite regulation system; it does not reduce your hunger like solid food does, so the total calorie intake is even higher. Others are concerned by the fact that U.S. soft drinks are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, which is processed differently in the body than other sugars, and may turn into fat more easily.
The article also revealed that:
This is a great article, making a number of excellent points about why soft drinks are the single most important factor in the epidemic of childhood obesity that is sweeping America. I'm also particularly glad the article covers the dangers of all sugary beverages, including energy drinks and, yes, fruit juice, which are often wrongly considered "healthy."
To truly be healthy, you will want to seriously consider reducing or eliminating all sugars from your diet.
That being said, soft drinks are probably the worst and most dangerous culprit, and there are certainly many good reasons to keep kids away from them. The 46 gallons a year number quoted in the article is two years old -- in that brief interval, consumption has skyrocketed to roughly 56 gallons per person per year.
In fact, earlier this year it was documented that sodas became the number one source of calories in America. Some conditions related to soft drink intake include:
The worst of all, however, may be obesity. Consider the fact that your risk for obesity increases by a whopping 60 percent for each can of soda you drink a day, and that obesity may actually lower the average age of death in the United States to a point so low that your children will be dying at a younger age than you do for the first time in history.
Recently, I mentioned that mounting pressures on the American Beverage Association are forcing the group to recommend limiting the availability of soft drinks in schools. However, eliminating temptations during the school day doesn't completely solve the problem if parents make a quick side trip for a Big Gulp on the way home. Children see and imitate what their parents do.