Sodas out of schools

I guess Colorado's Governor Bill Owens was right: if asked, corporations will do the right thing.

The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all soda sales to public schools, according to a deal announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation.

Under the agreement, the companies have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools, said Jay Carson, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton. Diet sodas would be sold only to high schools.

[...]

How quickly the changes take hold will depend in part on individual school districts' willingness to alter existing contracts, the alliance said. The companies will work to implement the changes at 75 percent of the nation's public schools by the 2008-2009 school year, and at all public schools a year later. (Associated Press)

A good step forward. While diet sodas are also very unhealthy, at least they have less calories. Just yesterday there was an article in the NY Times about how older Americans are less healthy than older Brits, despite paying twice as much on health care. While the co-author of the report cited didn't seem to think obesity plays a factor, older Americans are much more obese than Brits. And with the increased ailments cited including "diabetes, hypertension, heart disease," you have to wonder.