| The Problem
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| | - What Can Parents Do?
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| Perhaps the greatest challenge to a
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| | It is easy to blame large corporations
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| healthy lifestyle in the United States
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| | who manufacture soft drinks and other
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| today is the inclusion of carbonated soft
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| | fast food products but the solution to
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| drinks in the individual diet; this is
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| | the problem ultimately rests within each
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| particularly true in the diets of
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| | individual household family. For example,
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| teenagers and younger children. Sales of
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| | school programs are subject to public
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| carbonated soft drinks in elementary,
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| | scrutiny and input from concerned parents
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| middle and high schools are of particular
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| | can be particularly effective.
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| concern to parents and consumer action
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| | The American Dietetic Association and the
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| groups.
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| | Center for Health and Health Care in
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| | Schools offer suggestions on how you can
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| However, evidence is starting to emerge
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| | improve your child's nutrition at school
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| that soft drinks are not healthy for the
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| | and at home. Some of these examples are
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| individual. Therefore, changes are
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| | as follows:
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| required to ensure and establish a
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| | - Get familiar with the menu. Keep a
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| healthy life style for the soft drink
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| | current school lunch menu and discuss it
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| consumer.
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| | with your child. Talk about making
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| - Characteristics of Carbonated Soft
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| | healthy choices. Many schools offer
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| Drinks
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| | choices that meet guidelines for good
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| Carbonated soft drinks are widely
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| | nutrition if students make the right
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| consumed and present a unique problem to
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| | choices.
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| those drinking the products. Although
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| | - Ask questions. Find out who decides
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| they are water based, much of their taste
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| | what is for lunch. Who determines school
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| and appeal comes from the addition of
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| | policies on vending machines and snacks
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| significant amounts of sugar, sugar
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| | in the cafeteria and student store.
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| substitutes and other chemicals that are
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| | - Get involved. Join or start a parent
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| harmful to health. A good portion of
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| | advisory council for the school food
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| their appeal however, comes from the
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| | service program. Learn how parents and
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| promotion of the products in a way that
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| | students can participate in the decision
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| is attractive to younger customers.
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| | making process.
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| Beverages containing significant amounts
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| | - Support the nutrition education efforts
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| of sugars stimulate the pancreas,
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| | at school. If your school has an edible
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| boosting insulin levels and removing the
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| | garden, volunteer to help. If none
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| body from its natural fat burning state.
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| | exists, create one. Sustainable Table has
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| Colas, in particular, contain caffeine,
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| | information about how to start one.
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| sugar, sodium and acid that are extremely
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| | - Encourage your child to pack his/her
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| destructive to human tissue.
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| | own lunch. Help them pick healthy choices
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| - Effect on Youth
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| | that are fun to eat, such as string
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| High levels of carbonated soft drinks
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| | cheese, fruit, carrot sticks and pudding
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| have been traced to the increase in
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| | cups. If they pack it, they will be more
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| Childhood Obesity. Obesity is a major
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| | likely to eat it.
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| health problem for both adults and
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| | - Make your child a savvy media consumer.
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| children. A surge of obesity among
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| | Kids are bombarded with TV advertisements
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| children results in the increase rate of
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| | for sugary cereal and treats. Point out
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| diabetes and other types of systemic
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| | the techniques advertisers use to make
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| health problems.
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| | their products attractive.
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| In the last two decades, the incidence of
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| | - Teach your child about nutritional
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| obesity among adults and children has
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| | labels. It will help their reading skills
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| risen nearly 50 percent. As defined by
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| | and make them a smart consumer if you
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| federal standards, approximately 30
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| | make a game out of finding out how many
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| percent of adults and 25 percent of
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| | names there are for "sugar" in a label.
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| children are considered obese today.
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| | - Advocate for the laws you want. Write
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| The sale of carbonated soft drink
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| | to your representatives at the state and
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| products is a major business by large
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| | federal levels. Express your concerns
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| corporations and advertising is one of
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| | about school lunches, the placement of
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| the foremost components in the marketing
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| | vending machines at your child's school
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| mix. The messages communicated in an
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| | or requirements for physical education
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| effective marketing campaign are
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| | programs.
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| powerful, yet subtle for all listeners
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| | Source: "It Takes More than An Apple a
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| particularly children and teenagers who
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| | Day to Keep Your Child Healthy"
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| have not yet developed a frame of
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| | There is currently and there continues to
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| reference that allows understanding.
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| | be progress in children's health
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| In a recent article by Susan Linn and
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| | education. In a recent report
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| Diane E. Levin that studied the impact of
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| | commissioned by the American Beverage
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| advertising on children, the authors
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| | Association, consumption of Carbonated
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| concluded that:
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| | Soft Drinks (CSD) decreased in high
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| "Children are especially vulnerable to
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| | schools from 57.2% of the product mix in
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| the impact of advertising. A recent study
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| | 2002 to 44.9% in 2005.
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| out of Stanford University found that one
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| | Similarly, the consumption of water as a
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| 30-second commercial can influence the
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| | percentage of the product mix increased
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| brand choices of children as young as 2.
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| | from 9.1% to 12.7% in the same period.
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| Repeated exposures to ads are even more
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| | Similar results were reported for middle
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| effective. Very young children don't
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| | and elementary schools.
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| distinguish between a commercial and
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| | Continued effort and vigilance is
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| television programming. And children
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| | required to keep this project in constant
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| under 8 aren't able to understand that
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| | development.
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| ads are created to convince people to buy
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| | - School Budgets and Fundraising
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| products."
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| | An important element to consider in the
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| Source: "Stop Marketing 'Yummy Food' to
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| | fight against junk food obesity is the
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| Children"
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| | role of junk food products in fundraising
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| In the past decade, techniques for
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| | for schools. As a result of across the
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| marketing unhealthy food to children have
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| | board budget pressure at all government
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| become increasingly sophisticated, subtle
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| | levels, school boards have reduced many
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| and effective. Marketing junk food in
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| | activities or look toward other non tax
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| schools is a growth industry that
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| | sources of funding.
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| includes direct advertising, sponsorship
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| | Fundraising events for direct activities
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| of sports teams and involvement with
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| | or through booster clubs became an
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| fundraisers that add revenue to schools
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| | important source of funding for sporting
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| for activities.
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| | and other activities.
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| The media is increasingly dominated by
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| | An important source of revenue at
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| advertising dollars from the food
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| | fundraising events was the resale of soft
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| industry. Some estimates of total food
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| | drinks to spectators; the profit was
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| promotional budgets exceed $30 Billion
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| | considerable. A program that replaces
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| and continues to grow.
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| | carbonated soft drinks in the schools for
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| Childhood obesity in the United States
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| | health reasons also requires products
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| has grown considerably in recent years.
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| | that generate an equivalent source of
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| Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet
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| | revenue.
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| and lack of exercise is responsible for
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| | - The Pure Water Element
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| over 300,000 deaths each year. More
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| | Bottled drinking water is an ideal
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| shocking is that the annual cost to
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| | substitute for carbonated soft drinks if
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| society for obesity of all forms now
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| | the quality is high and the taste is
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| exceeds $90 Billion.
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| | appealing. Our bodies are estimated to be
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| There are indirect effects of obesity as
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| | about 60% to 70% water. Blood is mostly
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| well. In a recent study, Dr. Ramin
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| | water, and our muscles, lungs and brain
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| Alemzadeh, MD, explains that "diabetes is
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| | all contain a large amount of water.
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| not the only issue related to childhood
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| | It is necessary to drink water to
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| obesity. Obese children may have greater
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| | regulate body temperature and also to
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| difficulty with high blood pressure, high
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| | provide the means for nutrients to travel
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| cholesterol levels, orthopedic problems,
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| | to all our organs. Water also transports
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| sleeping habits, as well as self-esteem
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| | oxygen to our cells, removes waste and
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| and peer relationships."
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| | protects our joints and organs.
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| Dr. Alemzadeh cites studies indicating
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| | Water that is pure and free of minerals
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| that adults who were obese as children
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| | and bacteria is the ideal source for the
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| also face significant health and social
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| | hydration of our bodies and a significant
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| difficulties later in life.
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| | contributor to a healthy lifestyle. If
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| - Soft Drinks in the School
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| | you consume coffee or alcohol, you should
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| Parents are often told that it is their
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| | drink at least an equal amount of water.
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| job to promote healthy nutrition, even as
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| | When you are traveling on an airplane, it
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| corporations undermine their efforts by
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| | is good to drink 8 ounces of water for
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| spending billions of dollars marketing
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| | every hour you are on board the plane. If
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| junk food to children. This results in a
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| | you live in an arid climate, you should
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| barrage of food industry ads that promote
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| | add another 2 servings per day. As you
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| unhealthy fares, from the cereal boxes
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| | can see, your daily need for water can be
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| and TV ads at home to the soda and snack
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| | significant.
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| vending machines at school.
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| | The best source of water is pure drinking
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| Some 10,000 food industry ads per year
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| | water. Purified drinking water based upon
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| for unhealthy foods are aimed at
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| | combined filtration, distillation and
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| children, from 3 years to teenage years.
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| | ozonation techniques is readily available
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| Ninety-five percent of these ads promote
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| | in the market today. This process
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| fast food, candy, sugared cereals and
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| | guarantees a high-quality product
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| soft drinks.
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| | combined with a light refreshing taste.
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| From the school board to the statehouse,
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| | - Water and Fundraising - The Private
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| efforts to ban sugary foods and combat
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| | Label Program
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| childhood obesity are being debated
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| | Bottled drinking water is an ideal
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| around the nation. This increased level
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| | replacement for soda in the fundraising
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| of awareness is beginning to take effect
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| | process. Because of the increased demand
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| but continued effort is required.
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| | for pure drinking water, bottled water is
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| Solving the problem requires effort on
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| | as marketable to the consumer as soft
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| all levels. Consumer protection groups
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| | drink sodas and many times more
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| are pressuring the U.S. Congress and
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| | profitable for the fundraisers.
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| Administration; efforts are well underway
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| | This is because many bottled water
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| at the state level to curb aggressive
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| | suppliers can easily supply water that
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| advertising.
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| | has a private label for the school and
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| In response, suppliers have increased
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| | the occasion. The private label
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| their promotional efforts and many
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| | advertising feature allows the fundraiser
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| schools, under continued budget pressure,
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| | the ability to charge a premium for the
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| often supplement their incomes with
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| | product and increase the profit on the
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| proceeds from soda and candy fundraising
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| | transaction.
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| and booster club sales. In spite of the
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| | Soft drink or soda suppliers do not offer
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| massive promotional budgets of food
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| | private labeling for their products
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| manufacturers, a focused effort by
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| | because the strategy of these suppliers
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| consumer groups and parents is already in
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| | is to increase the recognition of their
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| progress.
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| | own brand.
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