Philadelphia Takes the Fizz Out of Sugary Drinks


filling up soda sugary drink for kid's meals

In October 2019, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed a new law that requires restaurants to make healthy drinks the default drink in kid's meals, over sugary sodas. Kid's meals now will offer a choice of water, nonfat/low-fat milk, or 100% juice. Sugary drinks are not banned. Instead, customers must specifically request them. “Ensuring that these healthy beverage options are available to families is a step in the right direction toward the health and well-being of our city’s children,” said City Council Member Blondell Reynolds Brown, who introduced the law, in a statement. Why Does Philadelphia Need Healthier Kid's Meals? About 66% of American children drink at least one sugary beverage a day. Sugary drink consumption contributes to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular ...

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Big Gulp: The Problem of Sugary Drinks and Children


child and mom grocery store food sugary drink shopping

Nearly 2 of 3 U.S. children's drinks sold in 2018 were unhealthy fruit drinks and flavored waters with added sugars and/or diet sweeteners, according to Children’s Drink FACTS 2019, a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. In fact, none of the 34 top-selling children's sugary drinks met expert recommendations for healthy drinks for children. These unhealthy drink sales complicate health equity for Latino and black children, who are targeted more with sugary drink marketing and have higher rates of sugary drink consumption. They face obesity, higher rates of cavities (57% of all Latino kids have cavities), and other health conditions as a result. "Beverage companies have said they want to be part of the solution to childhood obesity, but they continue to ...

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New York City Bans Soda as Default Drink in Kid’s Meals


soda girl drinking sugary drink kid's meal

How bad is sugary soda for your kid? In New York City (29% Latino), an 8-year-old would need to walk 70 minutes from City Hall to Times Square to burn off the 9 teaspoons of sugar in a kid's meal soda. That's why city leaders are making water, milk, and 100% juice the “default beverages” on kid’s menus, thanks to a new law to reduce childhood obesity in an area where 1 in 4 toddlers and preschoolers have at least one sugary drink a day. New York's City's law goes into effect May 1, 2020. “Sugary beverages contain no nutrients that children need, and they are disproportionally marketed to children in low income neighborhoods and communities of color,” said Dr. Judith A. Salerno of the New York Academy of Medicine, in a statement. “We believe that every child should ...

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Climate Strike: Millions of Voices Call for Environmental Action


Climate Strike Crisis Global

Last week, people across the world marched through city streets in hopes of prompting world leaders to act on the climate crisis. Over 7.6 million people participated in this strike from cities in over 185 countries, according to the Global Climate Strike website. These protestors demanded immediate action in the climate crisis from their respective elected officials. This event was inspired by the words and actions of Swedish 16-year-old, Greta Thunberg, who has made significant influences in the current climate crisis conversation — some say she's the spark that lit the Climate Strike fire. "We have gathered today because we have chosen which path we want to take, and now we are waiting for the others to follow our example," Thunberg said at an earlier climate protest in ...

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Salud Talks Podcast Episode Four: “Drinking Problems”


salud talks four water chemicals

Is the water coming from your tap safe? Research shows that millions of Americans face harmful exposure every day — from chemicals in public water. Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch, and Michelle O’Leary, member of the New York Water Project, join Salud Talks to discuss toxic substances in municipal water supplies. Check out this discussion on the #SaludTalks Podcast, Episode Four, "Drinking Problems"! WHAT: A #SaludTalks discussion on how we understand health and information GUESTS: Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch, and Michelle O’Leary, member of the New York Water Project WHERE: Available wherever fine podcasts are downloaded, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Tune In, and others. WHEN: The ...

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5 Tips to Help Parents Make Sure Kids Have Safe Water at School


Drinking Water Fountain Lead

Children are meant to learn and thrive while at school — not face harmful lead exposure through the water supply. Unfortunately, schools in at least 22 U.S. states failed to protect students from water contamination, including lead. This kind of exposure can cause a host of health complications to arise, including nervous system damage and learning disabilities, especially in young children. This is a huge problem, according to Joan Leary Matthews, a senior attorney and director of Urban Water at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “It’s everywhere,” Matthews said in an interview with Salud America! “Here’s why. There’s no such thing as lead-free plumbing. Federal law has limited the amount of lead that can be in new fixtures.” Why is Lead Possibly in ...

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Report: Children Under 5 Shouldn’t be Drinking Soda


Sugary Drinks Soda

The beverages that children drink during early childhood can affect their health in the future. Latino children that have regularly consumed sugary drinks are twice as likely to develop obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in their lifetime, according to a new scientific review from Healthy Eating Research (HER). The review specifically studied the negative impact of sugary drinks on children’s health. “Early childhood is an important time to start shaping nutrition habits and promoting healthy beverage consumption,” said Megan Lott, deputy director of HER. HER also convened a panel of experts that recommended against flavored milks, sugar-sweetened and caffeinated beverages, toddler formulas, and plant-based/non-dairy milks for all children younger than 5. “By providing ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 8/13: How Companies Target Junk Food Marketing to Latinos



Targeting unhealthy foods and drinks to Latinos contributes to health inequities. Yet, the food and beverage industry use marketing tactics founded on the 4 Ps of marketing—product, place, price, and promotion—to target Latino kids with foods and drinks high in sugars, salt, and fats, according to a recent Berkeley Media Studies Group report. Food and beverage companies leverage geolocation technology, strategically set low prices, and exploit culture to market their least healthy products to Latinos, the report states. Let's use #SaludTues on Aug. 13, 2019, to tweet about how companies use marketing tactics to target Latinos with ads for unhealthy foods and drinks. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How Companies Target Junk Food Marketing to Latinos” TIME/DATE: 1-2 ...

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Sugary Drinks May Be Linked to Cancer Risk, Study Says


sugary drinks cancer hispanic latino girl drinking

If you drink a lot of sugary drinks, you may have a higher risk of getting cancer, says a new study. While it didn't find a direct causal link, the large French study does suggest that limiting sugary drinks could cut cancer cases, according a Reuters report. The study has big implications for Latinos, who drink more sugary drinks than their peers. “This study adds to the science suggesting that it’s a good idea to limit sweetened beverage consumption,” Colleen Doyle, a nutrition expert at the American Cancer Society, told Yahoo! News. What Did the Study Find? Researchers at the Université Sorbonne Paris Cité followed 100,000 adults for five years. They examined consumption levels of sugary drinks, including soda and fruit juice. They analyzed this and risk for ...

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