· The access to soda machines in school has nearly doubled in the late
20th and early 21st century, according to a report from CNN (Chavis 2012). · 2006 study from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows that 71 percent of children purchase sodas and other sweet drinks from school vending machines (Chavis 2012). · According to a Washington Post article by Sally Squires, 60 percent of all public and private schools sell soft drinks to students. In addition, some schools offer soda with school lunches (Chavis 2012). ·The average American teenager receives 15 to 20 teaspoons of sugar per day from sodas. Note: in my opinion Canadians teenagers are almost or equal to American teenagers when it come to sugar consumption (Chavis 2012). · The Journal of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine shows that ingredients in carbonated sodas found in school vending machines cause a decrease in vitamin A, magnesium and calcium in children (Chavis 2012). · A nationwide survey of vending machines in middle schools and high schools finds that 75 percent of the drinks and 85 percent of the snacks sold are of poor nutritional value (CSPI 2004). ·Of the drinks sold in the 13,650 vending-machine slots surveyed, 70 percent were sugary drinks such as soda, juice drinks with less than 50 percent juice, iced tea, and “sports” drinks. Of the sodas, only 14 percent were diet, and only 12 percent of the drinks available were water. Just 5 percent of drink options were milk but of those, most (57 percent) were high-fat whole or 2 percent milk (CSPI 2004). ·Despite the financial pressures on school systems that lead them to sell junk food in the first place, some schools are voluntarily setting higher nutrition standards for vending machine foods. As it happens, says CSPI, those school districts are doing well financially by doing good—they are not experiencing a drop-off in revenue by switching to healthier foods (CSPI 2004). · “Though many assume that vending machines will only be profitable if they are stocked with junk foods, no noticable in revenue by switching to healthier options,” said Carolyn P. Whitehead, the health and physical education coordinator for McComb, Mississippi school district, which now sells only water and 100 percent fruit juice in vending machines (CSPI 2004). |
Bellow is a TED talk by Jamie Oliver on the food we feed our chidren. At the 11:50 mark Jamie talk about the sugar in chocolate milk. If the video isn't streaming well try http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html
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