San Francisco has officially taken out sugary drinks and replaced them with soy milk, rice milk, and certain diet sodas in vending machines on city property.
Mayor Gavin Newsom made the executive order several months ago but the order didn’t take into effect until this week, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
Sodas, sports drinks, artificially flavored water, and juice with added sweeteners will not be present in vending machines. Juice must be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice.
The ban on the sugary drinks are part of the Mayor’s war on obesity and to improve the health of residents in San Francisco, following in the steps of First Lady Michelle Obama.
Newsom’s office cited a UCLA report that said obesity is 27 percent more likely in people who drink at least one can of soda per day.
“There’s a direct link between what people eat and drink and the obesity and health care crises in this country,” the Mayor’s spokesman Tony Winnicker told the Chronicle.
This may sound like a smart move, but a nutrition expert said replacing soda with other drinks like juice or milk does little to solve the fundamental problem of people drinking too many calories.
“By replacing sodas with soy milk or milk or juices you give people more calcium and nutrients,” U.C. San Francisco critical care nutritionist Irma Ishkanian told the San Francisco Weekly.
“But as far as obesity, if you have two cans or bottles of juice, you’re still having just as many or more calories. It’s not really helping with obesity.”
Mayor Gavin Newsom made the executive order several months ago but the order didn’t take into effect until this week, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
Sodas, sports drinks, artificially flavored water, and juice with added sweeteners will not be present in vending machines. Juice must be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice.
The ban on the sugary drinks are part of the Mayor’s war on obesity and to improve the health of residents in San Francisco, following in the steps of First Lady Michelle Obama.
Newsom’s office cited a UCLA report that said obesity is 27 percent more likely in people who drink at least one can of soda per day.
“There’s a direct link between what people eat and drink and the obesity and health care crises in this country,” the Mayor’s spokesman Tony Winnicker told the Chronicle.
This may sound like a smart move, but a nutrition expert said replacing soda with other drinks like juice or milk does little to solve the fundamental problem of people drinking too many calories.
“By replacing sodas with soy milk or milk or juices you give people more calcium and nutrients,” U.C. San Francisco critical care nutritionist Irma Ishkanian told the San Francisco Weekly.
“But as far as obesity, if you have two cans or bottles of juice, you’re still having just as many or more calories. It’s not really helping with obesity.”
