A national effort to remove sugary soft drinks from public schools has resulted in a 95 percent drop in the shipment of full-calorie sodas to schools in the past six years, according to a study by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Most local school systems have removed soft drinks. Chesterfield County schools, for example, eliminated soda and candy from vending machines in 2007, a spokesman says. But Mary-Jo Sawyer, a registered dietitian at VCU Medical Center at Stony Point, says simply removing soda is not enough. "If they don't sell sodas in schools, [students are] going to drive by and grab a soda on the way home," Sawyer says, stressing the need for moderation and healthy eating at home. She adds that the phosphoric acid in sodas puts consumers at risk for osteoporosis, which weakens bones.
