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July 13, 2005

Oh, no, Evil Soda Pop!!!

Okay, so there is this doctor, no, no, not a medical doctor, but Ph.D. kinda doctor (so why is he writing about soda pop and obesity?) by name of Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D.

He has a research paper, well, no, he has a paper out that basically says that soft drinks are bad and evil and nothing but liquid candy. And then he, the Ph.D. in busybodiness, lays out his corrective actions:

In part because of powerful advertising, universal availability, and low price, and in part because of disinterest on the part of many nutritionists and other health professionals, Americans have come to consider soft drinks a routine snack and a standard, appropriate part of meals instead of an occasional treat, as they were treated several decades ago. Moreover, many of today's younger parents grew up with soft drinks, see their routine consumption as normal, and so make little effort to restrict their children's consumption of them.

It is a fact, though, that soft drinks provide enormous amounts of sugar and calories to a nation that does not meet national dietary goals and that is experiencing an epidemic of obesity. The replacement of milk by soft drinks in teenage girls' diets portends continuing high rates of osteoporosis. Soft drinks may also contribute to dental problems, kidney stones, and heart disease. Additives may cause insomnia, behavioral problems, and allergic reactions and may increase slightly the risk of cancer.

The industry promises that it will be doing everything possible to persuade even more Americans to drink even more soda pop even more often. Parents and health officials need to recognize soft drinks for what they are -- liquid candy -- and do everything possible to return those beverages to their former, reasonable role as an occasional treat.

Individuals and families should consider how much soda pop they are drinking and reduce consumption accordingly. Parents should stock their homes with healthful foods and beverages that family members enjoy.
Physicians, nurses, and nutritionists routinely should ask their patients how much soda pop they are drinking and advise them, if appropriate, of dietary changes to make.
Organizations concerned about women's and children's health, dental and bone health, and heart disease should collaborate on campaigns to reduce soft-drink consumption.
Local, state, and federal governments should be as aggressive in providing water fountains in public buildings and spaces as the industry is in placing vending machines everywhere.
State and local governments should considering taxing soft drinks, as Arkansas, Tennessee, Washington, and West Virginia already do. Arkansas raised $40 million in fiscal year 1998 from that tax.63 If all states taxed soft drinks at Arkansas' rate (2 cents per 12-ounce can), they could raise $3 billion annually. Those revenues could fund campaigns to improve diets, build exercise facilities (bike paths, swimming pools, etc.), and support physical-education programs in schools.
Local governments could require calorie listings on menu boards at fast-food outlets and on vending machines to sensitize consumers to the nutritional "cost" of sugared soft drinks and other foods.
School systems and other organizations catering to children should stop selling soft drinks, candy, and similar foods in hallways, shops, and cafeterias.
School systems and youth organizations should not auction themselves off to the highest bidder for exclusive soft-drink marketing rights. Those deals profit the companies and schools at the expense of the students' health.
The National Academy of Sciences or Surgeon General should review the impact of current and projected levels of soft-drink (and sugar) consumption on public health.
Soft-drink companies voluntarily should not advertise to children and adolescents. Labels should advise parents that soft drinks may replace lowfat milk, fruit juice, and other healthy foods in the diets of children and adolescents. Scientific research should explore the role of heavy consumption of soft drinks (and sugar) in nutritional status, obesity, caries, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and heart disease.

Italics are mine.

Now, many of you will disagree with me, but it is none of the government's business to decide what parents let their kids drink as long as it ain't alcoholic.

Besides, he thinks that fruit juice (also full of sugar) would be a good substitute for soda pop. Also, his 'research paper' does not pull out the sugar-free soda from his graphs, making the report very misleading.

I know that many of you moms think that soda pop causes all kids to be obese.

Obesity in children, I believe, is caused more from lack of exercise than anything else. Parents don't let their kids play outside with the neighborhood kids for fear of them being kidnapped or some such, and the kids sit inside and watch TV.

Schools have cut back on Physical Education to give that time to anti-drug and anti-alcohol classes. (When I went to grade school and high school, we had 90 minutes of phys ed every day - and we had a longer school day because of it).

I hate it when people tell me what to eat, not eat, drink, not drink and how to live the way 'they' believe is the 'right' way. Gee, kinda like the Islamic terrorists who want to make all of us live the way they believe is the right way.

Okay, that's a little over the top, but ....

Posted by Beth at July 13, 2005 01:31 PM