The other day, Board Buzz heard the following story from Daniela Espinosa, a project coordinator in NSBA’s School Health Programs Department:
“Around two months ago, I attended a workshop in a high school in the state of Virginia. It was a very hot day and I got really thirsty right before the workshop began. I decided it would be best to get a bottle of water and take it into the workshop with me. I was really happy when I spotted a vending machine two steps away. The vending machine had Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, and some other soda — but no, it did not have the water I so wanted.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like to have a Pepsi here and there, but for someone who is trying to lose weight, Pepsi is not a good option. And, unfortunately, I don’t like the taste of anything labeled “diet” and dislike Dr. Pepper, which, for me, tastes like cough medicine.
Being someone who works with programs that aim to improve nutrition in schools, including limiting the availability of high calorie beverages, it was very disappointing to see that something as simple and healthy as water was not easily accessible in a high school.”
So Board Buzz was pleased to see that a recent report suggests otherwise. The report, released by the American Beverage Association, reveals that the school beverage landscape has been changing, shifting more to water, portion-controlled sports drinks, and diet drinks. It also shows that calories of beverages being shipped to schools has been slashed by 58 percent since 2004. This outcome comes on the heels of the national “School Beverage Guidelines” set forth two years ago by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation who worked with The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, PepsiCo Inc., and the American Beverage Association to establish these guidelines with the purpose of reducing the number of calories made available to children during school hours.
The voluntary agreement was announced by President Clinton along with leaders of the beverage industry on May 3, 2006. The guidelines called for the beverage industry to provide lower-calorie and smaller-portion options in schools, including the removal of full-calorie soft drinks, all by the 2009-2010 school year. Within the guidelines, beverage options include 100 percent juice, low-fat milk, and bottled water in elementary and middle schools, with the addition of diet sodas, calorie-capped sports drinks and enhanced waters, as well as low-calorie teas in high schools.
The report marks the second annual assessment of the impact and status of implementation of the national guidelines. It shows that 79 percent of schools under contract with bottlers are in compliance with the national “School Beverage Guidelines,” surpassing a previous goal that 75 percent of schools under contract be in compliance by the 2008-2009 school year, which has just begun. According to the report, shipments of full-calorie drinks have decreased by nearly two-thirds, with the volume shipped to schools down by 65 percent.
Board Buzz is very happy with these results and hopes to see a lot more schools taking up the challenge of providing less caloric beverages to keep kids healthy and ready to learn!
