A UCLA report suggests more than 40 percent of California’s children have at least one sugary drink a day. As Health Care Reporter Pauline Bartolone in Sacramento tells us, that rate has declined in recent years, but not for teenagers.
The percentage of kids under 12 years old who have one or more sweetened drinks a day has declined by roughly 10 percent since 2005. But the report says teenagers increased their sugary beverage intake at a smaller rate– most likely by consuming sports and energy drinks. Susan Babey is from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
“I think the combination of those policies that have removed surgary beverages from schools and the extensive education campaigns that have gone on throughout the state, have both contributed to the decline that we see, particularly among younger kids," says Babey.
A different study involving middle schoolers suggests school soda bans may prevent purchases at those sites, but does not bring down overall consumption.
The UCLA report was commissioned by a health advocacy organization that supports a statewide soda tax.