To help combat the rise in obesity, many schools are eliminating or reducing the availability of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers determined that such action has little effect on total consumption.
The study authors worked in conjunction with four schools in Maine that reduced SSB availability for one school year, and three schools that took no action regarding SSB availability. Over the course of two school years, researchers found that SSB consumption decreased in all students.
The researchers noted: “This study suggests that successful reduction of the availability of SSB can occur in public high schools. However, these data suggest the effect of reduced availability of school SSB on consumption of SSB by high school students may be limited.”
