The rate of obesity in this country has become a prominent issue lately, especially considering the rate of increased childhood obesity, which foreshadows the potential future of health problems in America. However, a step has been taken to recover from this national plague with top beverage distributors agreeing to provide only diet soda, juice, milk and water in public schools.
While this is a step in the right direction, combating childhood obesity will take far more than a ban on full-sugar soda to influence a healthier lifestyle for children and young adults.
From now on, public elementary and middle schools will provide only unsweetened juice, low-fat milk and water to students. There is no reason that children of this age should be provided with high-sugar beverages that can dramatically increase calorie intake per day. However for high schoolers who might need a caffeine fix, diet soda will also be provided along with sports drinks and other juices. Cutting out regular soda ' which accounted for 45 percent of beverages sold in schools last year according to a report on cnn.com ' at least might lead students to intake a lesser-calorie alternative.
Still, there is a long way to go.
Some sports drinks contain just as much sugar and calories as soda and yet they are portrayed as an active, healthy drink. However, if you consume sports drinks as a healthier alternative to soda, you also have to be physically active to burn off those calories. If public schools are serious about cutting down on childhood obesity, they need to also promote physical fitness, not to mention providing students with healthier lunches instead of the hamburger, taco and pizza staples.
Although kids love sodas and more fattening foods, school lunches need to be reformed and physical activity encouraged to make a significant change in lifestyle and stop the snowballing problem of obesity in children. Just banning non-diet sodas is not enough.
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