Close Menu
Today's Dietitian MagazineToday's Dietitian Magazine
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • Subscribe
  • Articles
    • Heart Health
    • Diabetes
    • Food Allergies
    • Nutrition Support
    • Supplements
    • Weight Management
    • Sustainability
    • Foodservice
    • Nutrition by Age
    • Professional Growth
  • Continuing Education
  • Symposium
  • Enewsletter
  • More
    • Events
    • Careers
    • Guides & Showcases
    • Toolkits
    • Gift Shop
    • Resources
    • Reprints
    • Writers’ Guidelines

Newsletter Signup

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn
Trending
  • Life After Antiobesity Medications
  • Preventing and Treating Diabetic Retinopathy
  • Popular Herbal Supplements for Athletes
  • The Impact of Regenerative Agriculture
  • CPE Monthly: The Influence of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Inflammatory Markers in Metabolic Syndrome
  • Editor’s Spot: Sculpting Behavior
  • Education: Nudging Healthier Habits
  • Food for Thought: Which Processed Foods Deserve a Spot on Your Plate?
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn Threads
Today's Dietitian MagazineToday's Dietitian Magazine
CURRENT ISSUE
October 2025
Subscribe
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • Subscribe
  • Articles
    • Heart Health
    • Diabetes
    • Food Allergies
    • Nutrition Support
    • Supplements
    • Weight Management
    • Sustainability
    • Foodservice
    • Nutrition by Age
    • Professional Growth
  • Continuing Education
  • Symposium
  • Enewsletter
  • More
    • Events
    • Careers
    • Guides & Showcases
    • Toolkits
    • Gift Shop
    • Resources
    • Reprints
    • Writers’ Guidelines
Today's Dietitian MagazineToday's Dietitian Magazine
Home » Banning Sodas in Schools Does Not Reduce Consumption Among Teens

Banning Sodas in Schools Does Not Reduce Consumption Among Teens

Today's DietitianToday's Dietitian3 Mins ReadSeptember 18, 2025
Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Threads Email Copy Link
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Threads Email Copy Link

State policies banning all sugar-sweetened beverages in schools are associated with reduced in-school access and purchase of these beverages, however these policies are not associated with a reduction in overall consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, according to a report published online in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

“In the past 25 years, sources of energy intake among youth have shifted toward greater consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, and high-calorie fruit drinks,” the authors wrote as background information in the study. “The Institute of Medicine recommended that all sugar-sweetened beverages be banned in schools, but many state competitive food policies have focused primarily on soda while allowing sports drinks, fruit drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages.”

Daniel R. Taber, PhD, MPH, and colleagues from the University of Illinois at Chicago, examined state policies that banned all sugar-sweetened beverages in schools compared with states that banned only soda or had no beverage policy for in-school purchases to determine whether these policies were associated with reduced in-school access and purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages. The authors also sought to determine if these polices were associated with reduced overall consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among adolescents.

The analysis included 6,900 students from public schools in 40 states, who were sampled during their fifth and eighth grade years (Spring 2004 and 2007, respectively) and had completed questionnaires about their in-school access to and purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as their overall consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. The authors found that the proportion of students who reported in-school sugar-sweetened beverage access and purchasing were similar in states that banned only soda (66.6% and 28.9%) compared with states with no beverage policy (66.6% and 26%, respectively).

Overall, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was not associated with state policy as the authors found that in each policy category, approximately 85% of students reported consuming sugar-sweetened beverages at least once in the past seven days, and 26% to 33% of students reported daily consumption. Additional analysis indicated that overall consumption had only a modest association with in-school sugar-sweetened beverage access.

“To summarize, state policies regulating beverages sold in middle schools were associated with reduced in-school sugar-sweetened beverage access and purchasing only if they banned all sugar-sweetened beverages,” the authors wrote. “Access and purchasing were equivalent in states that banned only soda compared with those with no policy at all. However, even comprehensive sugar-sweetened beverage policies were not associated with overall consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which was largely independent of students’ in-school sugar-sweetened beverage access.”

“Our study adds to a growing body of literature that suggests that to be effective, school-based policy interventions must be comprehensive,” the authors concluded. “States that only ban soda, while allowing other beverages with added caloric sweeteners, appear to be no more successful at reducing adolescents’ sugar-sweetened beverage access and purchasing within school than states that take no action at all.”

Source: American Medical Association

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Threads Email Copy Link
Previous ArticleFast-Food Consumption Linked to Lower Test Scores in 8th Graders
Next Article Is There Such a Thing as Eating Too Many Fruits and Vegetables?
Today's Dietitian

Related Posts

Articles

Losing Fat While Gaining Muscle With Protein

September 18, 2025
Articles

Meals on Wheels Making an Impact

September 18, 2025
Articles

5 Claims About Probiotics and Good Gut Health

September 18, 2025
Featured Toolkits
View All
The Beef Nutrition Education Hub
Sponsored By
The Beef Nutrition Education Hub
U.S. Soy Dietitian Toolkit
Sponsored By
U.S. Soy
Canned Beans Modular Toolkit
Sponsored By
Canned Beans

Featured Guides & Showcases

View All

2025 Wellness & Prevention Resource Guide
2025 March Product Spotlight
2025 May Product Spotlight
2025 June/July Product Spotlight

Newsletter Signup

Social Media
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

The leading independent source for news, information, research, and industry trends among the nation’s influential community of nutrition professionals.

1721 Valley Forge Road #486, Valley Forge, PA 19481
Phone: 1-800-278-4400

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn Threads

Newsletter Signup

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
© 2025 Great Valley Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.