Should Soda Be Allowed In Schools Essay

Soda consumption is one factor that is related to the rise in childhood obesity. A randomized control trial found that soda consumption is associated with weight gains (Taber, Chriqui, Vuillaume, & Chaloupka, 2014). It is easy for adolescents to buy soda since schools have vending machines that sell soft drinks and other sugary beverages. There have been numerous policies proposed to reduce the consumption of soda. They have included taxes, marketing regulation, limits on portion sizes, limits on sugar content, and banning soda in schools (Taber et al., 2014). New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a plan to ban sugar-sweetened drinks larger than 16 fluid ounces all over the city (Fairchild, 2013). The New York State Supreme Court did not pass the law, as there were a lot of loopholes to the ban (Fairchild, 2013). The main purpose of Mayor Bloomberg’s policy was to eliminate sugar-sweetened drinks not only in schools but also in restaurants. Policies that ban sugar-sweetened drinks have been successful in middle school, although the policies in high school only focus on the ban of soda (Taber et al., 2014). While the consumption of soda has decreased in high school, these students could still consume other sugar-sweetened drinks.

A cross-sectional study was done to look at the state taxes and policies targeting soda consumption. The study found that “students without vending machines were less likely to be obese but more likely to be overweight, and they reported slightly more servings of fast food and soda, relative to students with vending machines” (Taber et al., 2014). They also found that there is an inverse relationship between vending machine access and soda consumption is eliminated if state tax for soda is greater than the general food tax (Taber et al., 2014). They have concluded that there are mixed results on the ban on soda in