Kids consume too much soda even if unavailable at school

A study in the September Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that soft drink availability at elementary schools may have a limited impact on overall child consumption of soft drinks.

Researchers analyzed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a sample that included 10,215 fifth graders in 2,303 schools across 40 states.

Results showed that 26% of children who have access to soft drinks at school consume them. Children who consume more soft drinks at school were more likely to consume an increased number of soft drinks overall. Findings also showed that limiting availability of soft drinks at school was associated with a 4% decrease in the rate of any soft drink consumption overall.

The researchers concluded that further research about how children respond to reduced availability in both school and home food environments may assist in the improvement of child diets.