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Health advocates back Coke’s new school policy


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Links to obesity, osteoporosis

’Positive move’

Nutritious options

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Public health advocates welcomed Coca-Cola’s plans to provide a healthier array of drinks at vending machines on school campuses.

Coca-Cola announced Wednesday it will make a wide variety of beverages available to schools, including juices, water, sugar- and caffeine-free drinks, and products rich in vitamins and calcium.

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“I think it’s definitely a movement in the right direction as far as pediatric nutrition is concerned and as far as getting kids on a healthier track,” said Jo Ann Hattner, a pediatric nutritionist in Palo Alto, California, who is a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Coke also said it would work with schools wanting to limit sales of beverages at certain times and locations on campus, and would support nonexclusive deals between schools and local bottlers.

“For decades we’ve worked hard to be a good partner with schools, and we want teachers, parents and everyone concerned about commercialism and nutrition issues to know that we’re committed to responding effectively to their wishes and need,” Coca-Cola Americas President Jeffrey Dunn said in a statement.

Links to obesity, osteoporosis

Coke’s move, which company officials said has been in the works since the fall, follows a report last month in the British medical journal The Lancet saying children who drink sugary soft drinks are at higher risk of becoming obese.

Another recent study found that girls who drank more sodas got less calcium in their diets, which could lead later to osteoporosis.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has called for more control of the foods and drinks in American schools, citing the increasing, unrestricted availability of snack foods on campus.

The USDA currently requires that lunches and breakfasts meet nutritional standards but does not regulate snacks and sodas sold outside school cafeterias in vending machines and concession stands.

’Positive move’

U.S. Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey, D-New York, who is reintroducing legislation that would prohibit the giving away of soft drinks through school lunch programs, applauded Coke’s action Wednesday.

“I think it is a very positive move and they should be encouraged to continue to do this kind of thing,” he said.

Margo Wootan, a scientist with the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, also saw Coke’s announcement as a good sign.

“I hope they’re really serious about reforming the way they market soft drinks to kids, and that they’ll do even more,” she said.

But she still expressed concern about selling soft drinks on campus.

“An occasional soda is no big deal,” she said. “The problem is that they’re drinking too much and they’re drinking it too often, so I’m not sure schools need to be providing soft drinks to kids.

Nutritious options

Coke spokesman William Marks said the Atlanta, Georgia-based company believes its beverages are “appropriate” for schools.

“What we want to do is make sure we are offering a wide choice and wide array of beverages,” he said. They include Coke’s Dasani water, Minute Maid juice and some other drinks being developed.

That’s what Coke’s chief rival is already doing, Pepsi spokesman Larry Jabbonsky said.

“It’s something that we do and will do more of tomorrow,” he said from his Purchase, New York office, adding that the company is “working every day” on developing even more nutritious products.

Wootan said a chief concern about soft drinks is that they may displace other healthier drinks such as orange juice or low-fat milk.

“That soft drink adds nothing but empty calories,” she said.

In a perfect world, Hattner suggests milk would be the drink of choice among young people, because they’re not getting nearly enough calcium.

“I still think that Vitamin D, low-fat fortified milk is one of the best beverages to have, even in a vending machine,” she said.



RELATED STORIES:
Study: Sodas linked to obesity
February 15, 2001
Healthy diet key for active teens
November 3, 2000
The skinny on healthy eating
October 3, 2000
Study disputes soft drink manufacturers on caffeine
August 14, 2000
Soft drinks help fund schools but fuel health debate
September 10, 1999

RELATED SITES:
American Dietetic Association
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Coca-Cola.com
Pepsiworld

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