Kids Consume Too
many Soft Drinks
AAP Says No to Soft Drinks in School
Childhood obesity is on the rise in the U.S.
In the past decade the percentage of overweight
children has doubled and nearly tripled in adolescents.
One way to combat this trend is to ensure our children have access to healthy food
choices both at home and at school.
The
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) addresses this problem in a new policy recommending
that schools restrict the sale of soft drinks that may be contributing to childhood health
problems that result from overconsumption.
Dr. David Wallace at the Children’s Clinic of SWLA says,
“Soft drink vending machines in the schools make it so easy for children to access
high-sugar, high-calorie, low- nutrition drinks.”
Sweetened soft drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the daily diet of
U.S. children. Each 12-ounce serving of a
carbonated, sweetened soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar.
Sugared soft drink consumption has been associated
with increased risk of overweight and obesity, currently the most common medical condition
of childhood.
According to the AAP, between 56 and 85 percent of school age
children consume at least one soft drink daily. As
soft drink consumption increases, milk consumption decreases, and milk is the principal
source of calcium in the typical American diet. These added sweet drinks can lead to
dental cavities from the high sugar content, and the erosion of enamel of teeth from the
acidity.
Wallace adds, “Kids who fill up on sugar and high-fat
foods also don’t get the nutrients their bodies need for healthy growth and
development.”
The average teen consumes
about twice the amount of sugar recommended by the USDA and doesn’t get the
recommended amounts of fruit and milk.
“Parents can control the availability of soft drinks at
home, and schools need to restrict or eliminate the sale of soft drinks in their vending
machines, sporting events, and school fund drives,” suggests Wallace, a member of the
AAP.
Although the sale of soft drinks
bolsters many schools’ budgets, the AAP policy cautions that this fundraising tactic
may be contributing to students’ health problems.
In addition to eliminating sale of soft drinks in schools, the
AAP recommends that schools nationwide:
- Offer alternatives
such as water, real fruit and vegetable juices, and low-fat milk
- Start a school
nutrition advisory council made up of parents, school officials, and health professionals
- Invite public
discussion of the sale of soft drinks before entering into a contract with a
vending-machine or soft-drink company
For schools already bound by contracts with soft drink
distributors, the AAP recommends that the following precautions be made:
- Not allow soft
drinks to be sold as part of the school lunch program
- Not place vending
machines in the same area where school lunch is sold
- Turn off vending
machines containing foods and drinks of limited nutritional value during lunch times
- Sell drinks that
are sugar-free or low in sugar instead of sweetened soft drinks
In an effort to put children’s health needs first, parents
and school officials can work together to find ways to reduce the consumption of soft
drinks.
For a full copy of the new AAP policy, visit the AAP website at
www.aap.org
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