MARCH 31, 2014

NR # 3422B

Ban on soft drinks and other unhealthy beverages in schools proposed

Lady lawmakers have proposed a ban on the sale of soft drinks and beverages in schools. Academic studies have shown that there is nothing healthy about carbonated soft drinks or soda. In fact, there is continuous stream of scientific studies that show the health risks of soda intake, revealed Reps. aka !. "ag#ao $% st &istrict, &inagat Islands' and Rep. (aria Leonor )erona#Robredo $*rd &istrict, +amarines ,ur'. "ag#ao and Robredo, authors of -" ./0% or the proposed -ealth "everage 1ptions Act of 0/%., insist on the need for the regulation of the availability of beverages to children in schools. ,oft drinks contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, phosphorus, and carbon acids which have harmful effects on the body, they pointed out. 2nder the measure, the following beverages shall not be provided or sold at schools3 %' soft drinks, sports drinks, punches, and iced teas4 0' fruit#based drinks that contain less than fifty $5/' percent real fruit 6uice or that contain additional sweeteners4 and *' drinks containing caffeine, e7cluding low#fat or fat#free chocolate milk. ,oda consumption is associated with increased fracture risk due to reduced bone mass. ,oft drink intake also increases the incidence of dental caries or decay and obesity especially among adolescents and young adults, the authors said. Likewise, they noted that 8hosphorus, high fructose corn syrup, caffeine and the carbon acids impair the body9s capacity to absorb calcium. ,oft drink consumption of children is linked to insufficient calcium in the body, impaired calcification of growing bones, and increased risk of bone fracture. :urthermore, the high levels of caffeine in soft drinks could disrupt sleep and lead to an7iety and &;A damage and hyperactivity, especially among children. <he =orld -ealth 1rgani>ation recogni>ed that consumption of soft drinks contributes to the growing incidence of obesity, as well as increased risks for heart disease, the lady lawmakers noted. 1n the other hand, the following beverages shall be sold at schools4 %' :ruit#based drinks that contain at least fifty $5/' percent fruit 6uice and that do not contain additional sweeteners4 0' waters and selt>er4 and *' low#fat or fat#free milk, including, but not limited to, chocolate milk, soy milk, rice milk, and other similar dairy or non#dairy calcium#fortified milks.

<he authors also emphasi>ed that it is the duty of schools to provide free potable water for students, staff and personnel. Local school boards shall include the costs for providing potable water consistent with ,ections ?? and %// of Republic Act ;o. @%A/ of the Local )overnment +ode of %??%, the authors stressed. :urthermore, the proposed statute provides that all school shall have the duty to incorporate into their curriculum lessons the effect of the consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks, including the effects of sugar in the human body, the lady lawmakers added. Recent studies associate soft drink consumption by young children with aggression, attention problems, and withdrawal behavior, they said. <he Buropean !ournal of +ancer 8revention reported that researchers from the 2niversity of Bdinburgh found an association between higher risk of the colorectal cancer and eating high#energy snack foods $snack foods high in sugar and fat' and high#energy drinks $including sodas and other sugary beverages', they added. <he lawmakers also noted a 0/%/ study in &iabetes +are showing that drinking one to two sugary drinks per day increased the risk of type 0 diabetes by 0A percent, compared with having less than one serving a month. According to a Buropean study, the authors added, drinking 6ust one can of soda a day increases the risk of developing diabetes by more than a fifth. 2sing data from *5/,/// people in eight Buropean countries, researchers found that every e7tra %0 fluid ounce $*./ ml' serving of sugar#sweetened drink raises the risk of diabetes by 00 percent compared with drinking 6ust one can a month or less. <hese trends have also been detected in the 8hilippines. A study involving children aged A#%0 years old in La <rinidad, "enguet shows the prevalence of dental caries and high consumption of sugar. ,oft drinks are one of the most common sources of dietary sugar $C.D'. <he %??C ;ational (onitoring and Bvaluation &ental ,urvey reported the prevalence of dental caries among children aged %0 years was ?%.@D, the authors e7plained. $*/' dpt