Get ALL Sodas Out of Schools!
- van: Care2.com
- ontvanger: Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made history by proposing a ban on the sales of large sodas or other sugary drinks in New York City. Though this is a revolutionary step in combating adult obesity, sodas and artificially sweetened drinks are still available all over the country --
most problematically, in our kids' schools.
In many high schools, sodas, along with sports drinks, flavored waters, and teas, are still being sold -- even though these drinks can be loaded with sugar, sodium, and artificial flavors. Even diet sodas, though low-calorie, contain sweeteners that can cause side effects of memory loss, mood changes, dizziness, diarrhea, and headaches.
If we cut down on the sodas our kids are drinking, they might have a fighting chance against unhealthy habits later in life.
Banning sugary sodas in New York City is a great step, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. Tell the U.S. Department of Education, to eliminate all sodas from high schools and work towards a healthier America.
Dear Mr. Duncan,
An alliance between the American Beverage Association, the American Heart Association, and the William J. Clinton Foundation aims at getting unhealthy drinks out of school vending machines to give America a better shot at cutting down on childhood obesity and improving our children's health.
But some of the drinks still allowed in schools are less than healthy. Diet sodas, which are still being shipped to high schools, can contain sodium, caffeine, and artificial flavors, which have been linked with a host of health problems. Cosuming sodium from unnatural sources can cause an excess of sodium in the body -- possibly leading to heart problems and kidney disease. Caffeine can trigger anxiety, sleep problems, irritability, and restlessness. And the artificial sweetener aspartame has, according to the FDA, side effects of memory loss, mood changes, dizziness, diarrhea, and headaches.
These are all problems that affect growing teenagers overall well-being -- including their ability to learn and function in school.
[your comments]
This program is a step in the right direction, and it has "changed the beverage landscape in schools across the country." But we believe it is only a first step. To really help our children combat not just childhood obesity but other preventable health problems like anxiety and kidney disease, we must teach them healthy habits that will stick with them for life. Diet soda is not a healthy, natural drink. Take diet soda out of children's schools, and work towards a truly healthy America.
