I am thrilled to attach the current newsletter from the Harvard School of Public Health. It announces a policy change for the city of Boston.
All new beverage contracts, for city owned properties, will include only low calorie beverages and NO SODA or sugar sweetened beverages (SSB)i.e sports drinks . Diet soda will be allowed, but there is a limit on the proportion of diet soda to non diet drinks per total vending machine, or canteen menu. If you click on one of the side links, you will see the report on diet drinks. In short, they are not considered the best alternative, but perhaps a step down from full sugar to no sugar beverages. In that article, some research is cited that indicates that having the sweetness without the calories confuses the brain. The signals for satiety do not get sent and people over consume. I drink a diet soda every day with a small snack and I am the least overweight person I know. [this may be related to the fact that I am not drinking the soda to trick myself into thinking that I ate, but because I enjoy the taste. Also, I am consuming a low calorie snack at the same time - so I feel full AND have calories]
Another research example they gave involved rats. I am just thinking - rat studies - for calorie consumption - do not make a lot of sense because rats do not eat for all the reasons that people eat. Much of our eating has to do with social pressure, happiness, sadness, etc - where as, I assume rats eat because they are hungry.
So back to the BAN. Boston is also going to utilize my favorite Go Slow Whoa labeling - Green means go - water would be green, fruit juice (100% and small serving) would be yellow, and soda or whole milk would be red. OK truth is that I did not open their traffic light guide, but I think I know this stuff well enough to guess correctly. But that reminds me, though they will allow fruit juice, the serving size cannot be more than 8 ounces. They are allowing low fat/no fat milk too - but again, in limited sizes.
I am so excited about this initiative that I emailed one of my professors to see how I could make something like this happen on my campus :) I told him I would dedicate my summer to it. I will keep you posted.
I also emailed it to the obesity coalition of which I am a part - perhaps we could influence my city :)
You are more than welcome to pass it on yourselves. Here it is. (I still think taxing or price differentials are good strategies too) In this article, my hero, Walter Willett (MD) equates soda consumption with the greatest single cause of our obesity epidemic. It was said that many people consume 200 calories a day in soda or SSB - well the average person. That is only about one soda a day - I know many who drink several cans/bottles a day.
2 comments:
If I drink soda it is calorie free. But I don't drink them often. And when I do I have learned to drink them with food--otherwise they cause me to crave sugar and more food.
The one exception to drinking them alone is if I'm exhausted, sleepy and thirsty and it's too hot for coffee--then I grab a diet soda for the caffeine.
I know many people who drink several full sugar sodas per day. I never did that, but I did 'manage' to get fat...by eating too many calories per day and too many sweets, skipping the healthy foods like fruits, veg and adequate protein.
Eating the right kinds of foods in the right amounts is critical to health.
when i was reading your comment in my email - i had to stop and look again - i wasnt sure if i was reading something I said or you said! we're twins...
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