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Beverage Industry Takes Aim at Childhood Obesity
Many public school vending machines may no longer contain high-calorie, sugar-laden drinks as the result of a new agreement between beverage distributors and public health advocates.
The move is a response to public concerns about rising obesity and diabetes among school children.
Under the agreement, announced this week, industry representatives committed to sell only low-fat milk, unsweetened juice, and water in most of the nation’s public elementary and middle school vending machines. In public high schools, the menu would also include diet drinks with less than 10 calories per serving, including diet sodas and sports beverages.
If all goes as planned, the changes could be implemented at three-fourths of public schools by the fall of 2008.
"Vending machines have had a major impact on the obesity and diabetes epidemic by making readily available high-calorie foods of low nutritional value," says UT Medical Group pediatric and adolescent specialist Dr. Sarah Stender. "The availability of soft drinks, coupled with the addition of high fructose corn syrup, has paralleled the rise in obesity."
Dr. Stender and pediatric endocrinologist Dr. George Burghen were instrumental in the development of new standards for vending machines in Tennessee public schools last year. The state guidelines apply to schools with pre-K through eighth grades and set minimum nutritional standards for beverages and food sold in vending machines, snack bars, school fundraisers, and a la carte services. Beverages are limited to milk, 100 percent fruit and vegetable juice, water, and beverages with less than 15 calories per serving. Similar standards were set for food items regarding fat, sugar, and sodium content.
Click here to download more information on the Tennessee guidelines.
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