[Carol Costello, Cnn Anchor:] When it comes to your child's health, soda is flunking out of school. The American Academy of Pediatrics wants schools to restrict soft drink sales. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here with more. You know, more kids are drinking soda in schools. So what exactly are the health implications?
[Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, more calories and more health problems, things like obesity, cavities and calcium deficiency. Now, right now overweight is the most common medical disorder in children. Right now, one in six children is already overweight or obese and one in three children is in the danger zone. And this goes beyond the social ramifications of fat kids being teased and problems with self-esteem. We're talking about medical disorders like high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol; problems with a death toll of 300,000 per year and a price tag of over $100 million each year.
[Costello:] You're kidding? High blood pressure for a kid?
[Fryhofer:] This increases their risk.
[Costello:] Unbelievable. So how much sugar is in a can of soda?
[Fryhofer:] Are you ready for this?
[Costello:] I'm ready.
[Fryhofer:] Ten teaspoons of sugar in every 12 ounces of a soda. But we love this stuff. Consumption of soft drinks has gone up 300 percent over the last 20 years. Up to 85 percent of all school aged children drink at least one soda a day and the biggest consumers, adolescent boys. Adolescent boys drink four sodas or more each day. That's 20 percent of those little guys.
[Costello:] Unbelievable. So what does the American Academy of Pediatrics want schools to do?
[Fryhofer:] Well, they've made several recommendations. The first thing they want us to do is encourage healthy alternatives, you know, to have the fruit juices around. Also, no soft drinks in the classroom proper and keep them out of the cafeteria during lunch. And they don't think any vending machines should be in the elementary schools period. They also advise the creation of multi-disciplinary school nutrition boards to take a closer look at these issues. But understand, Carol, that calcium is of concern here, calcium deficiency, because they're concerned that these kids may reach for a soda rather than getting the milk and 40 percent of bone is built during adolescence. So that's a major concern, as well.
[Costello:] That's funny. When I was in elementary school, there was no soda. In fact, we had those little bottles of milk and you opened it up and there was the presidents on the top. So you learned while you drank milk and had that needed calcium.
[Fryhofer:] Well...
[Costello:] We have to go back to those days.
[Fryhofer:] If they do this, expect more gift wrap sales and more car washes, because schools make $200 million a year on vending machines.
[Costello:] Oh, you're kidding. On vending machines. Yes. I can understand that. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, many thanks.