Rosalee Brown

The offering of fruit-flavoured drinks, sodas and so- called 'juices' become more and more varied each year. This variety is not just on our supermarket shelves but, unfortunately, also in our schools.

Apart from being romanced with these appealing drinks through advertising, attractive prizes and giveaways, children are also forced to make decisions at school about these drinks at the tuck shops and canteens.

Some of these drinks even have their own attractive chillers/ refrigerators, artistically decorated and identified with their products. Our ministries of Health, Education, Youth and Culture have no policy in place to prevent such sales in schools.

As we are all aware, the world is getting fatter and we are not just referring to adults, but to children! They will be the ones expected to carry on but will they be able to do so effectively if their generation will be sicker than that of their parents as a result of chronic diseases linked to obesity?

Sugary drinks and obesity

Obesity is the bane of most chronic diseases and it does not only result from sweet drinks, but inactivity and other factors as well. A new study, however, indicates that sugary drinks are playing a big part in the obesity epidemic. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have examined many studies spanning a 40-year period and have looked at the relationship between sugary drink consumption and long-term weight gain.

This recent study, which looked at the American population, identified a 135 per cent increase in soft drink consumption between 1977 and 2001 and a two-third increase in obesity in adults between the ages of 20 and 74 years old. It is estimated that drinking one can of soda daily can pack on 15 pounds in just one year! Our children consume much more than this and unfortunately, many are consuming diets deficient in vital nutrients, while consuming excess calories from sugars. This same research reviewed two intervention studies which reduced sugary drink consumption in the population of school children under review and saw a reduction in their body weight.

It cannot be left up to schools only to make the right decision, as they are faced with choosing whether to take the needed 'funding' from these companies along with having the products sold in the schools. The decision should be that of government policy makers, and should come from the Ministry of Education and Youth, to have our schools safe and eliminate sugary drinks from the compounds.

Four-ounce and 8 oz sizes of 100 per cent fruit juices, milk and soy- based drinks and water should be served instead. With these policies, parents should then police the schools to ensure that these standards are upheld. We must start now. Students will kick and scream, because, unfortunately, from pre-school they have been bred on these sugary options, but a new norm that includes more fruits for snack can be created. The same companies who sell these drinks can offer these new options.

Parents, the ball is in your court, let the powers that be know that your children's health is important, and demand healthy drink options. Parents, the same rule applies to the lunch kits: Johnny will cry for the advertised juice now, but later the cry will be about low self-esteem, and all the other disadvantages of obesity.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.