How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

By Joey Dweck


When was the last time you       Pepsi logo to a student       
consumed soda? Most likely, it   government-sponsored Coke     
wasn't that long ago. You may    Day rally.                    
even drink several cans or                                     
bottles each day. In the U.S,    So what is contained in a     
carbonated soft drinks are a     typical soda that may be found
huge business. Every year,       in a school vending machine?  
they generate more than $50      A 20-ounce screw-top plastic  
billion in annual sales.      bottle of soda has 275        
                                 calories. While there are     
Two companies Coca-Cola         other ingredients such as     
and PepsiCo -- dominate the      flavorings and caffeine, the  
soda market. They are in a       soda is primarily sugar and   
constant battle for the market   carbonated water. High in     
share of the product a          calories and zero in          
conflict known as the Cola       nutritional value, it is the  
War. Hundreds of millions of     quintessential junk food.     
dollars are spent annually for   The Center for Science in the
advertising. Not                 Public Interest refers to soft
surprisingly, the companies      drinks as liquid candy.       
are always looking for new       Since the bottles have screw- 
markets. And, increasingly,      tops, the liquid may be sipped
they are directing their         throughout the day, thereby   
attention to adolescents and     bathing the teeth with sugar  
children.                        and upsetting dentists. While
                                 it is unclear how many sodas a
For decades, schools have        typical student might drink   
allowed soda to be sold in on-   in one day, one is not a bad  
site vending machines. So,       guess. Just one a day means   
generating income for schools    1925 empty calories per week.
from the sale of soda is not a   Heavy users drink more than   
new policy. However, in the     one soda per day. Children who
early 1990s, pouring-rights      begin drinking soda when they 
contracts emerged. These put a   are still young tend to       
different spin on the sale of    increase the amount they      
soda in schools. And, over       consume through adolescence   
the years, they have             into young adulthood. Many    
increasingly gained in           children drink more soda than
popularity.                      juice or milk. While juice and
                                 whole milk contain about the  
In return for the exclusive      same amount of calories as    
sale of one-company's product,   soda, they contain useful     
pouring-rights contracts        vitamins and minerals. Juice  
give school districts large      and milk are far better       
lump-sum payments and extra      nutritional options.          
payments and/or gifts over a                                   
period of five or 10 years.      Although the relationship     
The contracts provide            cannot be proven conclusively,
additional incentives for        soda consumption correlates   
consumption levels that          with obesity. Children who    
surpass quotas. So, they tend    drink sodas take in more      
to encourage the consumption     calories, are fatter and have
of higher amounts of soda,       worse diets than those who    
even by the youngest students.   don't. If you need to lose    
In one of the most               weight, start by replacing    
extravagant contracts, a 53-     sodas with water, fat free or
school district in Colorado,     1% milk, or 100% juice but    
gave up its Pepsi vending        not too much.                 
machines and signed an $8                                      
million, 10 year agreement                                     
with Coca-Cola that included                                   
cash bonuses when sale targets   References:                   
were exceeded and a new car                                    
for a senior with high grades    Marion Nestle Paulette      
and perfect attendance. But,     Goddard Professor of Nutrition
even the smaller contracts       and Food Studies, and Public  
tend to be generous. The goal    Health, New York University   
is to create brand loyalty                                     
among young people a            Author, Food Politics: How    
loyalty that could continue      the Food Industry Influences  
throughout their lives.          Nutrition and Health 2002     
Without a doubt,                                               
administrators in cash-          Safe Food: Bacteria,          
strapped school districts have   Biotechnology and Bioterrorism
a litany of reasons to be        2003, both from the           
enticed. But, adherence to      University of California      
the contracts may be taken to    Press                         
extremes. For example, a                                       
Georgia student was suspended                                  
when he wore a shirt with a                                    

About the author:
Copyright � 2005, by Weight Loss Buddy Press

Joey Dweck is the founder of WeightLossBuddy.com , committed to helping you find a 24/7 buddy who will not only help you lose weight but who also will get you to change to a healthy lifestyle. You choose your own diet and your own exercise regime, and we find you a buddy who literally will stick with you through thick and thin. Signing up for a buddy is free. Simply go to http://www.WeightLossBuddy.comor call 1-877-BUDDY-UP.


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