Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

School Soda Ban

Aired August 27, 2002 - 11:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Still staying on the subject of what's happening in our schools, the nation's second largest school district votes today on banning the sale of soft drinks on all of its campuses. The board of the Los Angeles Unified School District says that it's a way to help fight childhood obesity.
Well should schools ban soda? Will this actually help keep kids healthy and keep them slim?

Our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now. He's in New York this morning, and hopefully he's got some answers.

What do you say -- Sanjay?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well good morning, Leon.

Well, I'll tell you, everybody seems to have an opinion on this, certainly no lack of discussion.

Let's hear what the people on the street have to say about this to start.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They make juices or other substitutes, not really a carbo -- sugar and water. I think it's a better option.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think kids should be allowed to have snacks and stuff that they want in school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I don't think they should. Too much sugar makes them hyperactive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that it's one of those things that, you know, I don't have an objection to controlling for -- because kids that eat too much sugar, there's too much diabetes in children now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: Fourteen percent of our nation's youth and adolescents are becoming overweight or obese, and these numbers are doing nothing but exponentially increasing. So childhood overweight certainly has the attention of a lot of people.

But, Leon, it is a complicated issue, there's no question about it. Most experts I think agree that while soda or pop, whatever you want to call it, is for the most part just empty calories full of sugar, really providing little nutritional value, they'll also add that it promotes tooth decay, as we know, it may stunt your growth, may actually lead to poor bone formation and it can be addictive. All these things can be problems as well as the likelihood that it leads to or contributes to overweight and obesity. But it is a complicated problem, and to say simply that banning soda sales alone could actually curb this epidemic I think may be a little bit of a reach -- Leon.

HARRIS: So you would agree, though, with the -- with the experts out there who are saying that at least the guys who are -- from the soda industry who might be saying that you're just picking on one industry, one product here when there's just so many other things that go on in the kid's life and what happens in a kid's home.

GUPTA: That's right. I mean it's more than just eating. No doubt that eating the number of calories that someone consumes is in part related to their propensity to become overweight or obese, but it's also their activity levels. I mean there have been guidelines for how active kids should be for sometime. But as you and I have talked about this, Leon, in the past, kids are more sedentary today...

HARRIS: Yes.

GUPTA: ... than ever before, and that's as big a problem.

Here's some recommendations. For example, you know actually plan activities for the whole family. Reduce sedentary activities, TV, video games. Encourage activity. For adults, Leon, they say 30 minutes a day, and that means getting your heart rate up for 30 minutes a day. For kids, adolescents, an hour, 60 minutes a day at least four times a week. These are some of the rough guidelines for what kids should be doing and that will help curb the obesity epidemic as well.

HARRIS: All right, well you're the doctor, you tell me, what kind of alternative beverages would you like to see if your kids are going to be in school somewhere and there's a machine?

GUPTA: Well I'll tell you, you know you can see the list right there, water, milk, drinks with at least 50 percent juice content. Sports drinks as well. Be careful of those sports drinks because a lot of -- you've got to read the labels. A lot of times they are just packed with sugar. They may have as many, if not more, calories than a can of soda pop so be a little careful with those. But certainly those are good alternative drinks as well.

Leon, I'll tell you, you know from a doctor's perspective, no question I think you know the sport -- soda drinks are probably just empty calories. I think that probably the likelihood is that these kids are going to get them anyway if they...

HARRIS: Yes.

GUPTA: ... really want them. Instead of supporting the school, they'll probably just be supporting the local drug store down the street.

HARRIS: You know what, that's exactly what we talked about yesterday on "TALKBACK LIVE." Kids said well what's the problem with just going outside and buying it someplace else and bringing it in, you know.

GUPTA: Exactly, and I think that's probably what will happen.

HARRIS: Yes, and if your kid's any -- if he's smart, which is the reason he's in school, he'd figure that out.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: All right, thanks -- Sanjay.

GUPTA: Good seeing you -- Leon.

HARRIS: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, you have a good one up there, buddy.

GUPTA: Thanks.

HARRIS: We'll talk to you later on.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com