There is a bill now in front of the House Education Committee that will eliminate certain foods that are considered "junk foods" from lunch rooms and vending machines in South Carolina. The bill would also allow for only water, 100% fruit juice, and fat-free or low-fat milk to be offered in schools. Changing regulations would require the snacks served in the lunch room or in vending machines must not have more than 200 calories, 35% of total calories from fat, 35% of their total weight composed of sugar, or 10% of their total calories from saturated fat. These rules will only apply to events and locations during the school day, and will not be regulated during after school clubs, activities, or fundraisers. The regulation of food and nutrition at fundraisers will be debated in the ...
Supermarkets and pharmacies are well-positioned in their communities to encourage folks to make healthier food and drink choices. However, some stores continue to promote sugary drinks over healthier options, like water. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) along with other advocacy groups and health professionals are calling on store owners to rethink how they market sugary drinks and to consider giving no and low calorie drink options more prominent shelf space. Little decisions like placing a case of bottled water at the check out line instead of soda is a small but effective way for a store owner to promote better beverage choices in the community. CSPI and others have crafted letters to send to large supermarket and pharmacy stores urging them to consider making ...
Sugary drinks are a top source of calories in the American diet. This is troubling because the nation is struggling with an obesity epidemic. Given that Latinos especially suffer from higher rates of obesity than several other population groups, "The Real Bears," a recent animated short film that has generated more than 2 million views on YouTube, has now been converted into Spanish. “The Real Bears,” which tells the story of a family suffering the adverse health effects of soda, including obesity, tooth decay, and diabetes and its associated complications, including amputation and erectile dysfunction, is produced by nonprofit group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). It features an original song by Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter Jason Mraz and ...
