In case you missed it, the United States made a huge step toward reducing its expansive waistline with the removal of soda pop from school vending machines. Thanks to negotiations by the William J. Clinton Foundation, the only beverages offered to elementary students will be fruit juices, low-fat milk and water. High school kids will still be able to buy "sports drinks" and diet pop.
For those skeptics out there, "Soda pop provides the average 12- to 19-year-old boy with about 15 teaspoons [about 1/3 cup] of refined sugars a day and the average girl with about 10 teaspoons a day." The same study on "liquid candy" (as they call pop) notes that 25 years ago, boys consumed twice as much milk as soft drinks, but that ratio has reversed. It's not just the sugar that's harmful, but the complete lack of nutritional value in soft drinks means every pop that replaces a healthy beverage reduces nutritional intake.
Good work, Mr. Clinton. We're missing you right now.
Update 5/31: Unfortunately, this legislation does not restrict so-called "sports drinks," which are capable of delivering nearly as much sugar as soda pop (and according to teacher KMR, are drunk at astonishing rates by high school kids). So much for progress against obesity...
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