|
Feature Article: Soft Drinks and School Age
Children
A recent publication of the NC School Nutrition Action Committee (SNAC)
entitled "Soft Drinks and School Age Children" contains interesting facts about
increased consumption of soda. According to the United Stated Department of
Agriculture (USDA), per capita soft-drink consumption has increased almost 500%
over the past five years. Soft drinks include soda, fruit-flavored and
part-juice drinks and sports drinks. Half of all Americans consume soft drinks
daily-most of which are sugar-sweetened. Enough regular soda is produced to
supply EVERY American with over 14 ounces of soda every day. The availability
of soda in the U.S. now exceeds that of milk.
Children start drinking soda at a young age. Fifty-six percent of 8-year-olds
consume soft drinks daily and 1/3 of teenage boys drink at least three cans of
soda a day. On average, adolescents get 11% or their calories or 15 teaspoons
of sugar from soft drinks. Not only are soft drinks contributing significant
amounts of calories and sugar to the diets of children and adolescents, they
are also replacing milk as the beverage of choice.
When children and adolescents replace milk with soft drink, they lose out on
valuable nutrients needed for normal growth and development. Only 36% of boys
and 14% or girls are getting enough calcium. High soft-drink consumption is
related to low intakes of magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C and riboflavin and
high intakes of calories, and carbohydrates. North Carolina has a higher
percentage of overweight children than the national average. While many
environmental and social factors contribute to this trend, increased
consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks has been identified as one factor. Low
calcium intake contributes to osteoporosis, a disease leading to fragile and
broken bones. For girls, 92% of their bone mass is built by age 18 and if they
are not consuming enough calcium during their teenage years, they cannot catch
up later.
Research shows that there is a direct link between good nutrition and the
ability to learn, play, grow and develop. Well-nourished children have higher
test scores, better school attendance and fewer behavior problems. Schools are
important environments that impact children's nutrient intake.
USDA has established regulations to control the sale of foods of minimal
nutritional value during school meal periods. In 1993, the NC State Board of
Education adopted a policy which states that all foods and beverages sold in
the school cafeteria must contribute to the nutritional well-being of the child
and aid in establishing good eating habits. These standards do not apply to
food sold outside the cafeteria. In fact, the North Carolina General Statue
115C-264 states that each school may, with the with approval of the local board
of education, sell soft drinks to students so long as soft drinks are not sold
(i) during the lunch period, (ii) at elementary school, or (iii) contrary to
the requirement of the National School Lunch Program.
In spite of these regulations, many school officials are choosing to respond to
growing financial pressures on the schools by considering soft drink vending
machines as a source of revenue. These decisions help reinforce the increased
consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks. Two school systems, however, have
demonstrated that when given a choice and the right packaging and marketing
mix, students will make healthy choices.
A school board in Madison, Wisconsin decided not to renew an exclusive vending
contract with Coca-Cola. The board voted to continue selling soda but with
multiple vendors. It also pledged to add healthier beverages. Milk vending
machines were installed in four high schools. The milk machines stay on all day
while the soda machines are disabled during school hours. The machines hold
16-bottles of milk that sell for $1.00. The schools now struggle to keep the
milk vending machines stocked.
Milk vending machines were installed in eleven high schools in Miami-Dade
County, Florida, as a pilot program. The machines dispense re-sealable bottles
of chocolate, strawberry and unflavored regular and low-fat milk for $1.00. The
initial response exceeded expectations. Machines run out of milk, daily, even
though they are placed next to or near soda and snack vending machines.
The increasing consumption of soft drinks by NC children and teens is one of
many barriers to their achieving an adequate diet and healthy lifestyle. The
schools can not solve the problem alone. Parents can help children by:
-
providing a variety of low-fat milks and 100% fruit and vegetable juices at
home
-
helping children learn to enjoy water as the thirst quencher of choice
-
providing access to soft drinks "in moderation" instead of everyday
-
setting good examples by limiting personal soft drink consumption
Celia Beauchamp, M.S., RD., LDN
|