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American Morning

'Paging Dr. Gupta'

Aired January 05, 2004 - 08:44   ET

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

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


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to your child's health, soft drinks get a failing grade. And the American Academy of Pediatrics wants school districts nationwide to restrict soda sales.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us this morning with more.

Good morning.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Big topic. And you and I have talked about this in the past as well, 85 percent of adolescents drinking at least one soda drink a day, 20 percent drinking four or more. And to give you a sense of what this means, it's about 150 calories in each can of soda, about 10 teaspoons of sugar in each can of soda, quite a bit there. So no surprise when the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending now -- that's all they are really doing -- recommending that elementary schools and high schools both start to eliminate sodas in the schools. We're going to talk about that.

Obvious reasons why, though, as to why they'd be recommending this. Obesity is a huge problem. We've talked about that. Soda certainly being linked to being overweight. Also when you start to drink a lot of soda, you start to drink less milk; calcium deficiency also being a problem. Dental problems, because of obvious reasons with the 10 teaspoons of sugar. This has been a problem that's been looming for some time now, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Any upsides to drinking soda?

GUPTA: Well, I mean, I think that it's all considered empty calories, and it's a fluid, I guess, at best. But probably, there are so many healthy alternatives to soda. Some of the healthy alternatives are obvious, again -- water, milk, fruit juices. When they talk about fruit juices, they say at least 50 percent juice.

Sports drinks, by the way, this is something that comes up a lot, especially as kids are becoming more athletic in high school and things like that, less than 42 grams of sugar. Check that label. Those big 20 ounce of sport drinks, make sure it has less than 42 grams of sugar in it.

O'BRIEN: The big problem of course for schools, a lot of schools have their marching bands and other programs funded by the vending machines that they put in and have filled by the soda companies, right? So I mean, this is going to be a bigger problem than just say no to soda. GUPTA: Big business, $200 million or so a year come from these vending contracts. A lot of these companies, such as Coke and Pepsi, signing individual sort of contracts with the school, saying, do our product, don't do other people's products. What they are saying, we've learned now a little bit from L.A., because there was a ban already in L.A., that you can have these contracts substitute what's in the vending machine with some of the healthier products that these companies make. For example, as you see there, Pepsi also makes Aquafina. Aquafina Essentials, which is a flavored water. Fruitworks -- I think we have a list of the Coke products as well. Dasani Water, that's very common, very popular. Minute Maid Light Lemonade, Hi-C. Again, those last products, more than 50 percent fruit juice.

Might that be the answer? This is going to be kids who still want their four cans of soda a day. But if you start putting the healthier alternatives in the schools, that might provide them a better option.

O'BRIEN: Some people talk about how the soda companies are marketing soda as a breakfast drink for kids. Have you read about that? It's fascinating to see.

GUPTA: When you think about soda, and all the food groups that we have out there, these are definitely empty calories; there's way too much sugar. This is sort of a drink that's evolved a time. Really, I don't think anybody in good consciousness could say that there's probably anything good about soda, except that it may occasionally quench your thirst. An occasional soda's not bad, but four times a day.

O'BRIEN: Four a day, ugh, yuck.

All right, Sanjay Gupta, thanks. Nice to have you here in New York, by the way.

GUPTA: Yes, good to be here.

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






Aired January 5, 2004 - 08:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to your child's health, soft drinks get a failing grade. And the American Academy of Pediatrics wants school districts nationwide to restrict soda sales.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us this morning with more.

Good morning.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Big topic. And you and I have talked about this in the past as well, 85 percent of adolescents drinking at least one soda drink a day, 20 percent drinking four or more. And to give you a sense of what this means, it's about 150 calories in each can of soda, about 10 teaspoons of sugar in each can of soda, quite a bit there. So no surprise when the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending now -- that's all they are really doing -- recommending that elementary schools and high schools both start to eliminate sodas in the schools. We're going to talk about that.

Obvious reasons why, though, as to why they'd be recommending this. Obesity is a huge problem. We've talked about that. Soda certainly being linked to being overweight. Also when you start to drink a lot of soda, you start to drink less milk; calcium deficiency also being a problem. Dental problems, because of obvious reasons with the 10 teaspoons of sugar. This has been a problem that's been looming for some time now, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Any upsides to drinking soda?

GUPTA: Well, I mean, I think that it's all considered empty calories, and it's a fluid, I guess, at best. But probably, there are so many healthy alternatives to soda. Some of the healthy alternatives are obvious, again -- water, milk, fruit juices. When they talk about fruit juices, they say at least 50 percent juice.

Sports drinks, by the way, this is something that comes up a lot, especially as kids are becoming more athletic in high school and things like that, less than 42 grams of sugar. Check that label. Those big 20 ounce of sport drinks, make sure it has less than 42 grams of sugar in it.

O'BRIEN: The big problem of course for schools, a lot of schools have their marching bands and other programs funded by the vending machines that they put in and have filled by the soda companies, right? So I mean, this is going to be a bigger problem than just say no to soda. GUPTA: Big business, $200 million or so a year come from these vending contracts. A lot of these companies, such as Coke and Pepsi, signing individual sort of contracts with the school, saying, do our product, don't do other people's products. What they are saying, we've learned now a little bit from L.A., because there was a ban already in L.A., that you can have these contracts substitute what's in the vending machine with some of the healthier products that these companies make. For example, as you see there, Pepsi also makes Aquafina. Aquafina Essentials, which is a flavored water. Fruitworks -- I think we have a list of the Coke products as well. Dasani Water, that's very common, very popular. Minute Maid Light Lemonade, Hi-C. Again, those last products, more than 50 percent fruit juice.

Might that be the answer? This is going to be kids who still want their four cans of soda a day. But if you start putting the healthier alternatives in the schools, that might provide them a better option.

O'BRIEN: Some people talk about how the soda companies are marketing soda as a breakfast drink for kids. Have you read about that? It's fascinating to see.

GUPTA: When you think about soda, and all the food groups that we have out there, these are definitely empty calories; there's way too much sugar. This is sort of a drink that's evolved a time. Really, I don't think anybody in good consciousness could say that there's probably anything good about soda, except that it may occasionally quench your thirst. An occasional soda's not bad, but four times a day.

O'BRIEN: Four a day, ugh, yuck.

All right, Sanjay Gupta, thanks. Nice to have you here in New York, by the way.

GUPTA: Yes, good to be here.

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