Snacks, sweetened beverages, added sugars, and schools

• Published in: Pediatrics (Evanston) 2015-03, Vol.135 (3), p.575-583
• Main Authors: Murray, Robert, Bhatia, Jatinder, Okamoto, Jeffrey, Allison, Mandy, Ancona, Richard, Attisha, Elliott, De Pinto, Cheryl, Holmes, Breena, Kjolhede, Chris, Lerner, Marc, Minier, Mark, Weiss-Harrison, Adrienne, Young, Thomas, Daniels, Stephen R., Abrams, Steven A., Corkins, Mark R., de Ferranti, Sarah D., Golden, Neville H., Magge, Sheela N., Schwarzenberg, Sarah Jane
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beverages; Beverages - utilization; Child; Child nutrition; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Childhood obesity; Children & youth; Control; Elementary school students; Energy Intake; Food and nutrition; Food Services - standards; Global Health; Government regulation; Health aspects; Humans; Incidence; Laws, regulations and rules; Nutrition Policy; Obesity; Obesity in children; Pediatric Obesity - epidemiology; Pediatric Obesity - prevention & control; Pediatrics; Risk factors; School food services; School lunches; School lunchrooms, cafeterias, etc; Schools; Sugar; Sweetening Agents - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0031-4005; 1098-4275
• DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-3902

Concern over childhood obesity has generated a decade-long reformation of school nutrition policies. Food is available in school in 3 venues: federally sponsored school meal programs; items sold in competition to school meals, such as a la carte, vending machines, and school stores; and foods available in myriad informal settings, including packed meals and snacks, bake sales, fundraisers, sports booster sales, in-class parties, or other school celebrations. High-energy, low-nutrient beverages, in particular, contribute substantial calories, but little nutrient content, to a student's diet. In 2004, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that sweetened drinks be replaced in school by water, white and flavored milks, or 100% fruit and vegetable beverages. Since then, school nutrition has undergone a significant transformation. Federal, state, and local regulations and policies, along with alternative products developed by industry, have helped decrease the availability of nutrient-poor foods and beverages in school. However, regular access to foods of high energy and low quality remains a school issue, much of it attributable to students, parents, and staff. Pediatricians, aligning with experts on child nutrition, are in a position to offer a perspective promoting nutrient-rich foods within calorie guidelines to improve those foods brought into or sold in schools. A positive emphasis on nutritional value, variety, appropriate portion, and encouragement for a steady improvement in quality will be a more effective approach for improving nutrition and health than simply advocating for the elimination of added sugars.