“Soda pop is today’s cause celebre of the anti-obesity campaign,” writes Rocky Mountain News columnist Mary Winter. “Twelve states are considering laws to tax or ban pop sales at schools. A bill to ban pop is big news in California this month. To believe sponsor Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, the proposed California Childhood Obesity Prevention Act will be a big step in preventing obesity…
“But science doesn’t necessarily support her contention. Studies by the Georgetown Center for Food and Nutrition Policy found no link between pop consumption and obesity in kids 12-18. In fact, the biggest pop drinkers were often the thinnest kids. Critics say it’s just one more intrusion by the Food Police. I tend to agree. Banning pop machines… won’t solve the obesity problem.”
Winter quotes dietician Stephanie Smith: “As a dietitian, I have to say there are no good or bad foods.” Agrees nutritionist Mary Lee Chin: “Some people want to turn pop into a poster child, but you can’t just blame pop.”
