Tenenbaum thanks soda distributors for halting sales of high-sugar drinks to most public schools
State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum commended the nation’s major beverage distributors for an agreement announced today that would curtail the sales of most soft drinks to America’s public schools.
Under the agreement announced by the William J. Clinton Foundation, a group of companies that includes Coca-Cola and PepsiCo agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools. High schools will still be sold low-calorie drinks that contain less than 10 calories per serving, as well as drinks that are considered nutritious, such as juice, sports drinks and low-fat milk.
School districts and state legislatures across the nation have become increasingly active in attempting to reduce student consumption of soft drinks, whose high caloric content and popularity have made them an issue for health advocates concerned over rising rates of childhood obesity.
“Today’s agreement could prove to be a landmark in the history of American public health,” Tenenbaum said. “The growing number of overweight children is an issue we simply can’t ignore. We see its effects in the numbers of children being diagnosed and treated for a variety of problems associated with poor nutrition. The messages and strategies we develop must extend beyond the walls of schools into our homes and communities.”
In South Carolina, recommendations aimed at reducing student consumption of soft drinks were part of a 2004 report on student nutrition and fitness produced by a 58-member statewide task force appointed by Tenenbaum. The task force report became the foundation for the Student Health and Fitness Act, which was approved by the General Assembly in 2005.
Empowered by the new law, the State Board of Education approved a package of new regulations that is currently awaiting ratification by the General Assembly. One of those regulations directs South Carolina K-5 schools not to “sell or serve the following beverages to students until the last regularly scheduled class: soda, soft drinks, sports drinks, punches, iced teas and coffees, and fruit-based drinks that contain less than 100 percent real fruit juice or that contain added sweeteners.”
Tenenbaum said she was particularly encouraged to see that the beverage industry and child health organizations had collaborated to produce today’s agreement.
“If we work together,” she said, “we can ensure that all of our children come to school healthy and ready to learn, and that good health habits follow them not only during their school careers, but throughout their lives.”
Research conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that the number of overweight children doubled in the U.S. between 1980 and 2000 among children aged six to 11. For children aged 12 to 19, the number tripled over the same period.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the percentage of Americans who are overweight has increased from 48 percent to 65 percent over the past 30 years. Among children, 15 percent are overweight, another 10 percent are at risk of becoming overweight and 15 percent are considered borderline.
The effects of these weight problems are reflected in the number of children diagnosed and being treated for what used to be characterized as adult conditions, including hypertension, Type II diabetes, sleep and orthopedic problems and psychological disorders. According to Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC, many overweight children grow up to be overweight or obese adults.
Tenenbaum pointed out that overweight and obesity issues also have an economic impact. A 2003 issue brief published by the National Governor’s Association estimated that costs due to obesity-related illnesses in children have more than tripled since the 1970s, from $35 million in 1979 to $127 million in 1999.
Tenenbaum’s Task Force on Student Nutrition and Physical Activity included school personnel, university experts, parents, legislators, and representatives from the health department, medical community and the state’s food industry. The task force chairs were Dr. Susan Kayman, Deputy Director at the Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, and Dr. Russ Pate, Associate Dean for Research at the Arnold School of Public Health.