Finally, after months of angry, cautionary rhetoric and mounting pressure from health advocates and "obesity warriors," the soft drink industry announced plans to ban sugary soda from elementary and middle schools and to restrict sales in high schools.
It's about time!
But before you heartily applaud the entire move, make sure you read on, because this new policy has a number of major flaws and heavy opposition from health advocates, who brand it as a shameless publicity stunt on the part of the soda industry, which simply can't be trusted.
Anyhow, as I reported earlier this month, the soft drink industry has been mulling over taking such a shift in soda-in-the-schools strategy for a while now.
But, let's face it, folks, the industry simply had no choice given the fact that drinking empty-calorie, sugary, caffeinated drinks are increasingly being singled out as a reason for the fact that some 9 million school kids aged 6 to 19 are overweight.
Clearly, companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsico realized the futility and bad PR value to continually fighting proposals to regulate soda sales in the schools. In fact, soft drink companies have become quite notorious for their incredibly intense lobbying of lawmakers and school officials to keep these nutrition-lacking, sweet drinks in the stomachs of school kids. (In spite of their opposition, in state legislatures, 38 states have considered school nutrition bills, with at least 15 laws have been enacted.)
The American Beverage Association -- the group that used to be more appropriately called the National Soft Drink Association, because it represents 20 companies comprising some 85 percent of school vending beverage sales -- issued a statement late Tuesday. The story was widely picked up by CNN, The New York Times, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other media outlets.
Note two interesting tidbits about the policy change:
(Please continuereading to learn about flaws to the new policy and the reaction of The Center for Science in the Public Interest, The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, and the Center for Informed Food Choices.)
Finally, after months of angry, cautionary rhetoric and mounting pressure from health advocates and "obesity warriors," the soft drink industry announced plans to ban sugary soda from elementary and middle schools and to restrict sales in high schools.
It's about time!
But before you heartily applaud the entire move, make sure you read on, because this new policy has a number of major flaws and heavy opposition from health advocates, who brand it as a shameless publicity stunt on the part of the soda industry, which simply can't be trusted.
Anyhow, as I reported earlier this month, the soft drink industry has been mulling over taking such a shift in soda-in-the-schools strategy for a while now.
But, let's face it, folks, the industry simply had no choice given the fact that drinking empty-calorie, sugary, caffeinated drinks are increasingly being singled out as a reason for the fact that some 9 million school kids aged 6 to 19 are overweight.
Clearly, companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsico realized the futility and bad PR value to continually fighting proposals to regulate soda sales in the schools. In fact, soft drink companies have become quite notorious for their incredibly intense lobbying of lawmakers and school officials to keep these nutrition-lacking, sweet drinks in the stomachs of school kids. (In spite of their opposition, in state legislatures, 38 states have considered school nutrition bills, with at least 15 laws have been enacted.)
The American Beverage Association -- the group that used to be more appropriately called the National Soft Drink Association, because it represents 20 companies comprising some 85 percent of school vending beverage sales -- issued a statement late Tuesday. The story was widely picked up by CNN, The New York Times, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other media outlets.
Note two interesting tidbits about the policy change:
What's more, the soda group even plans to run print and broadcast advertising to educate the public about the new policy. (Another important step but it doesn't go far enough.)
(Please continuereading to learn about flaws to the new policy and the reaction of The Center for Science in the Public Interest, The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, and the Center for Informed Food Choices.)