So they are trying to get rid of soda at my school...

[mineo]

Obviously because it is not very healthy. but should the school allow the option of better tasting non-healthy foods, and just leave the option up to the student?

that is what I think. if my freind wants to drink a soda everyday and eat 2 slices of pizza everyday that is his buisness.

EDIT: damn i meant to put this on critical thinking....

[gardyloo]

I would say take them out because of all the obese children these days. They obviously can't choose well themselves so you'll have to choose for them.

[Kamoa_Han_Senzui]

I'm not fat and I like soda. If they take it out of our school I will be mad.

[nestlekwik]

I think it's a good move. While yourself as a student may think it's just another instance of people being a buzzkill, you have to realize the school has to act as a parental function. While you're there the school is responsible for you and must make decisions that reflect that. Plus, as mentioned before, obesity in young children is just exploding. I honestly can't believe how fat some of these young kids are getting (I mean like early grades too). Soda is a major contributor to gaining pounds. Just by cutting out soda and fast food almost completely I lost 20 pounds in a snap and the schools are making similar decisions in order to benefit the children there.

[DracIV]

The schools are paid to teach and have foods and drink availible. They are not paid to make dietary choices for students, nor determine that "kids are too fat, so we must force them thinner!" Removing the soda is a bad decision, mostly because they completely removed the decision. It is not your place to decide whether or not students are responsible enough to make their own choices; it is the place of the school and parents to teach them to make the good choice.

[SonikTheHedgehog]

My school never served soda in lunch, and that just forced be to bring it from home. I have and always will drink soda. I usually drink a 2-liter or so a day, which is a lot compared to most people, and I'm actually underweight by about 15 lbs according to my doctor. Quite frankly, it doesn't matter what the schools do, because a) kids will just drink soda and eat a lot of food when they go home and b)some people's genetics don't allow them to lose weight easily.

[Draigun]

A few weeks ago, our school stopped serving sodas during lunch. They are defiantly going to lose a lot of that profit they were making. =\

[The_Q]

Instead of taking soda out of the schools we should just restrict it more (if that'll make the schools stop whining about their lack of power over my diet). Honestly, I'm opposed to them even restricting my ability to buy disgustingly flavored carbonated beverages (we need coffee vendors at schools, that's what).

In any case, I would suggest that instead of having the soda be taken out completely the schools should charge more or restrict the times that the machines are on. The first is probably the best choice. If the price of a soda goes up 100 % (all the way to 2 bucks!) that'll be a huge disincentive for kids to stop buying the drinks. Any child would still be able to purchase said drinks, though.

Here's something tricky. Sell products with more content, not necessarily twice the content, for at least twice the price. This looks like it's still a reasonable buy so kids will purchase it, assuming they have the money, and the profits that come off of that will be good enough for the school to quit bitching. Let's say that I get a 24 oz soda instead of a 12 or 16 oz. Although I'd be less likely to cough up the cash to pay for this monstrous drink, I'd still be paying for it.

In any case, there are much better solutions than taking sodas away completely.

Q

[Arch0wl-R2]

Q I think you strayed off what he was asking. I'm sure he just wanted to know if there should be sodas in schools or not, not what the schools should do to improve. But at the same time you probably assumed he was going to present this topic to someone or use it as a base for an argument, but I think you presented your point a bit obscurely.

Regardless though, I think taking them out is a bad move. If a kid is too tempted by soda and doesn't have the willpower to cut back on it to not get fat, then there's no way he's going to lose weight. I mean cutting back on soda is one of the EASIER parts of a diet, this coming from someone who used to drink ONLY soda, and I used to be REALLY FAT. Now I'm like 150 lbs and 5'10". There's going to be lots of places where he's going to be confronted with many choices to drink it, not just school. And I highly doubt his school only has soda to drink.

[QreepyBORIS]

Heh, Arch, Critical thinking threads change topic REALLY fast.

Personally, what do I think?

I never really considered the issue much, but I think that schools ought to keep soda machines as a source of revenue. Schools need money, especially when in Michigan, $40,000 per year is spent on a single prison inmate as opposed to like...$9000 on schoolkids per capita per year.

Granted, supporting a person in prison DOES cost a fair amount, for very, very obvious reasons. But Schools need more funding--there are rampant book shortages, overcrowding (My school has about 3000 kids in a building meant to fit much, much less than that). And soda machines, though they wouldn't help the problem A LOT, would provide a small but necessary boost.

Obesity is unfortunate, though.

Our school also has various milk flavor machines. Still has plenty of sugar in the Chocolate and Strawberry flavors, but hell, it's better than high-fructose corn syrup (that particular sugar is linked more heavily to obesity than any other sugar. Having it makes you fat much more easily than with, say, glucose). And if it was not clear, it is a milk machine, not a milk flavoring machine.

But agh, obesity...Gym credits are necessary, but only ONE for all four of your years is required where I live. It's THAT that should be increased!

[The_Q]

Q I think you strayed off what he was asking.

What was being proposed was whether taking soda machines being taken from schools is a good thing. I stated that, if the schools do get a say in the situation (which I think they shouldn't), there are other solutions to the problem than taking out the machines.

I gave the other solutions. I thought past the question and gave a better answer than "yes" or "no."

Q

[Arch0wl-R2]

Gym doesn't give you near the activity you need to lose weight. Whatsoever.

I lost zero weight from gym in elementary school. I lost more weight from DDR in three months than every bit of weight I lost from gym.

[MalReynolds]

At my school, Gym class is weight training every other day, and hard cardio training every other day. Maybe you just took in more than you put out, Arch.

Mal

[QreepyBORIS]

Some of our Gym teachers are pretty nuts, and DO make you do serious stuff.

But team sports really help you get in shape, MUCH better than in gym.


And if nothing else, having a decent gym class helps stave off weight gain (even if there is no actual LOSS).


Major digression, but my opinion stands.

[psychic25]

The middle school that I went to just changed it so that they give Snapples instead of sodas. That's right, they don't sell sodas anymore.

Now look at these statistics:

Kiwi Strawberry Snapple (http://www.snapple.com/index.asp?Pageid=1&subid=1b&contentid=1b_product_detail&catid=2&ProdID=14)

Pink Lemonade Snapple (http://www.snapple.com/index.asp?Pageid=1&subid=1d&contentid=1b_product_detail&catid=3&ProdID=30)

Coca-Cola (http://www.calorieking.com/foods/food.php?category_id=156&brand_id=224&food_id=107851&partner=)

Although I must say that I don't trust that last site too much because it says there's no sugar in Coca-Cola, but that's the only site I can find.

So basically, if my math is right, Snapple actually has MORE calories and sugar per serving than Coke. Just a little more, but still. And plus, when you take into account that a Snapple is twice as big as a soda (at least I think so) Snapple actually is WORSE for the kids.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think our school made a worse decision :P

[Snapps]

The middle school that I went to just changed it so that they give Snapples instead of sodas. That's right, they don't sell sodas anymore.

Now look at these statistics:

Kiwi Strawberry Snapple (http://www.snapple.com/index.asp?Pageid=1&subid=1b&contentid=1b_product_detail&catid=2&ProdID=14)

Pink Lemonade Snapple (http://www.snapple.com/index.asp?Pageid=1&subid=1d&contentid=1b_product_detail&catid=3&ProdID=30)

Coca-Cola (http://www.calorieking.com/foods/food.php?category_id=156&brand_id=224&food_id=107851&partner=)

Although I must say that I don't trust that last site too much because it says there's no sugar in Coca-Cola, but that's the only site I can find.

So basically, if my math is right, Snapple actually has MORE calories and sugar per serving than Coke. Just a little more, but still. And plus, when you take into account that a Snapple is twice as big as a soda (at least I think so) Snapple actually is WORSE for the kids.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think our school made a worse decision :P

I think they did it because of the Sugur factor, but I always thought Snapple had more sugur than Coke.

But whatever I was overjoyed.

[Mindfields]

There's no way my bus is going to stop just to let me off and buy a Coke.
The only places I hardly ever am are school or home, I don't get out much. Plus, being a caffeine addict, and happening not to like coffee, Coke is my only resort. :\

[psychic25]

I think they did it because of the Sugar factor, but I always thought Snapple had more sugar than Coke.

It does. At least, it does have more carbohydrates.

[Freak83]

You can't take soft drinks out of high schools, kids are going to go down to a local store or gas station and just buy it there if you do. By high school the mind is already set on what you choose to drink. Take it out in junior schools if you have to, but removing it from high school won't help at all.

[vashthestampede479]

i dont really think its going to matter if they take sodas out of schools. just because soda isnt available in schools doesnt mean kids arent going to drink them. if they take soda out of your school and you're really flipping a **** about it, just bring your own. it will cost you less money anyway. and about the whole "soda making kids fat" thing, those kids need to learn some self control otherwise its their own damn fault that they're overweight.

[Arch0wl-R2]

At my school, Gym class is weight training every other day, and hard cardio training every other day. Maybe you just took in more than you put out, Arch.


Gym sucks for you then. =\ Honestly whether kids work out is their decision. It's not even the least bit educational so it's not like it should be in schools. Having a hard gym class is just stopping them from the inevitable (ie they're going to get fat after they get out of school anyway)

I gained weight in public school. The school's food isn't that healthy and gym class is really never enough to keep weight off unless you already have a fast metabolism. I do now, but I didn't before. If it were up to me I'd eradicate it being a requirement because it's never enough to keep people in even the slightest shape so it would just be optional.

[The_Q]

Vash...let's go over something really quickly...

Incentives matter. If they have to bug their parents about buying soda at the store and then bother to bring the sodas to school they might just quit altogether. Bugging their parents is also a cost, you see. Basically, not having a convenient place to purchase sodas is a disincentive to drink them.

Other than that, grow a brain, some grammar skills, and learn to respect CT or get out now.

Q

[Arch0wl-R2]

Q you're assuming he doesn't have sodas at home.

maybe his parents buy a 12 pack of sodas every time they go grocery shopping. They don't have to ASK their parents to buy soda

[vashthestampede479]

yeah good point q. i guess im just trying to say that taking soda out of school isnt going to stop kids from drinking soda completely.

[Arch0wl-R2]

Vash, you had a valid point and he didn't really counter it up with anything relevant and it had a lot of loopholes. I think you just backed down because he had a larger-than-usual textblock response and big words and a larger postcount than you, so subliminally you assumed he knew a lot about what he was talking about.

[jewpinthethird]

Honestly, I wish they would offer a wider variety of drinks in vending machines. I mean, I love Coca-Cola, but there are times when I dont want it. The school offers Soda, Low Fat Milk, SunnyD, Powerade, and Snapple (cans). The only drinks that are easy to access are Sodas and Powerade. The rest are only avaliable during Lunch via the Cafeteria (which is basically like saying they are on the f*cking Moon). And I cant drink milk anyways, since it makes me vomit.

Honestly, if my school served Tea (not the sugar filled Nestea crap), or other health drink alternatives, I know I would buy it.

But getting rid of sodas is only the surface. I'd say "yeah, get rid of sodas in school" but why? The children of America are still going to be fat ****s.

[The_Q]

maybe his parents buy a 12 pack of sodas every time they go grocery shopping. They don't have to ASK their parents to buy soda

In which case he still has to bother with not only carrying it to school but figuring out how to keep it cool and get around the problem of it bursting in his bag. All of the precautions and risks taken by bringing your own drink to school is costly (costs aren't always money).

Oh, the trouble of precautions and yada yada will create a disincentive to drink sodas as often. If it's less convenient the liklihood of the frequency remaining the same is rather low. If the frequency of eating "unhealthy" foods is lowered the odds are that the choice made was healthful.

Q

[Arch0wl-R2]

It's not hard to carry a soda to school, unless his school is gigantic. I did it all the time when I used to be the laziest fat slob ever.

[Squeek]

Just go to college. Just do it. There are soda and coffee places / machines everywhere. Overpriced, but it's there.

Anyway, at my old high school, they had a person go to each of the 15 vending machines for sodas and snacks and turn them off. This happened EXACTLY as school began in the morning. They were turned back on EXACTLY as school ended.

Still, what idiot pays a dollar for a 20 oz. bottle of soda?

~Squeek

[Arch0wl-R2]

Squeek what was the point of saying "just go to college" when it's obvious he can't? Other than advertising that you yourself are in college.

As for paying that... well, people who are thirsty and want a soda?

People pay $2 for a 13 oz bottle of bawls. That's more of a ripoff if you ask me.

[Tps222]

My school doesn't only allows soda to be purchased after school, so less people are buyig it, and the people who are, are usually athletes waiting for pracice after school. No harm done there. I think they should have a scale before the soda machine, and if you weigh over set weight, no soda for you fattie. The soda machine is activated by the scale, so no getting around that, and then have a camera above it, so no one else can buying for a fat person. Wow, I guess this is a tad bit extreme. Oh well, drink all the soda you want fatties, die of a heart attack at 40, I don't care.

[mineo]

wow, this thread got a lot of feedback :D

I am glad i'm not the only one that believes the choice of the person is important

[Tasselfoot]

This was how my HS was: 2 vending machines in the front of the school. Both were on timers that only let them vend after school ended. These machines were strictly soda. We had 3 other vending machines in our cafeteria that served food in one and drinks in 2. We had snapple, milkchug, water, sunnyd, etc. The usual school drinks. Personally, I bought my lunch everyday. I'd get pizza 3 times a week, cheeseburgers once a week, and something random once a week. I'd get cheese fries 5 days a week and the 8oz chocolate milk that came with the meal 5 days a week. I'd eat my entire meal and then pound the milk after.

It was never a big deal that the soda machines were turned off during lunch hours... you couldn't even get to them during lunch (not allowed to leave the cafeteria). Then again, I don't drink that much soda. Either way, I don't see it as much of a problem, and never really understood why the school chose to turn the machine off during school hours. I stopped at Wawa every morning before school to get a breakfast sandwich and a newspaper anyways.

Oh well.

PS - those who don't know what Wawa is... you poor souls are missing out. ALOT.

[Squeek]

Squeek what was the point of saying "just go to college" when it's obvious he can't? Other than advertising that you yourself are in college.

Duh. That's all I do here. Notice how I advertise the fact that I'm almost 19, in college, and that most people cannot type correctly in a whole crapload of threads?

Anything to bump my social image.

But to be completely serious, the college comment was to let people know that times are better once high school is over. Even though I didn't pay for soda at all during my high school times (freeze a 24-oz bottle of gatorade that you filled with a 64-oz bottle of gatorade and let it defrost during the day, only to be able to drink it at or a little after lunchtime).

I've never had bawls.

~Squeek

[flypie743]

PS - those who don't know what Wawa is... you poor souls are missing out. ALOT.

My dad, brother, and I buy stuff there on our way to the eastern shore.

[Mindfields]

Oh, I forgot:
My school encourages us to buy from the machines. The money made from them goes to the school, so we don't have to do fund raisers (often). I'm sure there are other ways to get money in the school, but mainly it's either vending machines or fund raisers. I also have a jar that I put those little "Box Tops for Education" Tabs in, and whenever the jar gets full, I put it in a paper bag. Eventually, it'll get my school $50. We could buy...a new stapler...

[Tantric]

If they take soda out of school...the school justs looses money...and I'll be mad!

[Anticrombie0909]

Hi. I drink two to three cokes every day. I eat constantly and I eat total ****. I don't exersize or work out during the school year.

I weigh ~140 pounds and have 8% total body fat.

Coke does not cause obesity unless you're predispositioned to being fat anyway, in which case it won't matter whether or not you drink coke. Plus, the fact that it has like, ~100 calories, none of them from fat, means pretty much the only argument you can make against it is it's sodium or sugar content.

Sorry guys. I'm calling bs on this one. Is it unhealthy? Sure. Does it make you fat? No.

[GuidoHunter]

Why wasn't this thread over after Drac's post? He said it all perfectly. My school got its cokes taken away in my senior year. I wasn't distressed because I ate lunch off-campus. However, in junior high, I would wager to say >80% of my lunches consisted of a pack of powdered sugar donuts and a twenty ounce Coke, and I was in the best shape of my life then. I heart my soft drinks, and was pissed that people like me would no longer be able to drink them in the cafeterias just because the school wants to be a regulatory agency of kids' diets. Now, I couldn't blame them if they wanted to do it so as to avoid having to widen all the doors because all the kids were too fat, but there's no way that was their reasoning.

I just thought of something. Is the "no cokes in public school cafeterias" rule a Texas state law, or is it up to the district? Q, Mind, y'all know?

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[QreepyBORIS]

Anti, excess glucose (and all other carbs, but glucose, fructose, and sucrose in particular) are converted into body fat if it cannot be used as glycogen or anything else.

Spare calories turn to fat.

[Anticrombie0909]

Spare calories turn to fat.

So I guess I have to worry about that ~100 calories I get from the coke while chowing down on my double hulkburgers. I'll just get water, please.

[The_Q]

I just thought of something. Is the "no cokes in public school cafeterias" rule a Texas state law, or is it up to the district? Q, Mind, y'all know?

There aren't any machines in my cafeteria. Right outside the cafeteria on all three entrances, though...

In any case, drinking excessive amounts of soda is bad for the health. Just like eating excessive amounts of oranges or having too much excercise. Basically, too much of anything is bad. The question, which I think we answered, was "do the schools have the right to decide what to do about their student's health?" We came up with "No, they don't."

Moving on...

Q

[ToshX]

Keep the soda, its a free country. Besides, when they get out of school, they will urge for soda and become so damn obese that it doesnt matter.

[MonkeyFoo]

My schools only have sodas in the teachers' lounges, and it's always been that way. I really wish I could have sodas in school, but I'd have to bring it in from home, with a cool pack, and a lunchbox etc. (too much of a hassle.) I'm kind of like anticrombie in that I'm not fat: I'm 137 lbs. and 6' tall. Of course, I eat a lot, and a lot of junk food, but I work out/do kung fu/have to do workouts for varsity ski team, so I just stay skinny. But I drink all the cherry coke humanly possible. I don't think that a school should be able to take that away from somebody, and I think it would be in the best interest of the school and the kids to put up a soda machine. We do have a nesquik machine, snapple, powerade, fruit2o, etc, but nothing carbonated. Waah.

[mineo]

Keep the soda, its a free country. Besides, when they get out of school, they will urge for soda and become so damn obese that it doesnt matter.


see that is also a big part of it.

should they let us feed our addiction to soda? or help us fight it off?