No soda for you, school district says

Marisa O’Neil

Call high-schoolers the “guava nectar generation.”

With increasing emphasis on a healthy diet and concern of

childhood obesity, the American Academy of Pediatrics is coming out

against the sugary sodas that fueled the previous “Pepsi Generation.”

Newport-Mesa stopped selling the carbonated soft drinks on elementary

and middle school campuses in 1997 and in high schools this year.

Now the district is in the process of replacing the old soda

vending machines with new ones offering milk, water and exotic

juices.

“We’re starting to see a paradigm shift toward healthy

lifestyles,” school board member Martha Fluor said. “When I was a

teacher, we had pizza parties and rewarded children with candy. Now

we’re trying to promote rewards other than food and offering good,

healthy drinks to take the place of carbonated sodas.”

Between 56% and 85% of school-age children consume at least one

soft drink daily, according to a study released Monday by the

American Academy of Pediatrics. One carbonated soft drink can have

the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar.

Such sugary drinks can contribute to childhood obesity, the study

said. The academy recommends eliminating the drinks from schools and

forming nutrition advisory committees, like one started in the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District last year.

Fluor and other board members Linda Sneen and Serene Stokes serve

on the committee with parents and nutritionists who work for the

district.

A new state law prevents schools from selling sodas on elementary

and middle school campuses during school hours, a move already made

by Newport-Mesa.

Students may still bring their own sodas. Organizations may also

sell them for fundraisers up to an hour before and an hour after

school.

Schools are phasing out the old Coca-Cola vending machines, which

have been stocked with water, juice and, on high school campuses,

sports drinks, said Sharon Moore, a registered dietitian for the

district.

Costa Mesa High School is getting new machines this week that have

plain and flavored milk, water and juices like mango and guava.

The new drink options are part of an overall effort to encourage

better nutrition for students. The nutrition committee is going

through a health and nutrition plan from the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention and looking for more ways to improve local

schools, Moore said.

“Our kids aren’t physical enough,” Sneen said. “They go to P.E.,

but we want our little guys to get good habits when they’re young so

they still want to be fit in junior high and high school.”