Lawmaker calls for ban on sale of artificially-sweetened drink in schools

A lawmaker called for the sticker implementation of the Department of Education's (DepEd) directive on the sale and consumption of nutritious food in public schools, saying this should include a ban on softdrink and other artificially-sweetened beverages. Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco lauded the DepEd "sustained fight to ensure that children in the nation's school are fed only healhty and nutritious foods", but said the sale of soft drinks and artificially sweetened beverages should be limitted if possible, prohibited-in schools. "No less than three DepEd orders-DECS memoramdum 373 in 1996 and DepEd orders 14 in 2005, 8 in 2007-have fought to ensure the sale and consumption of nutritious food in school" Haresco, vice chairman of the House committee on small business and enterpreunship development said.

Prolonged consumption of these drink actually contribute to poor nutrition, he pointed out. The sugar content in these drink is so big provides a temporary energy boost and a feeling of fullness he said. When that happens, children tend to skip eating real meals. These are empty calories however, having little nutritional value.
"This is habit forming and bombarded by advertising that shows that these product make them better the continued subtitution of meals will result in long term disease, namely malnutrition, diabetes, ostoporosis, and obesity," he said.
He said drink like these tend to supply the body too much phosphorus, upsetting the ideal 50-50 phosphorus calcium balance leading to calcium deficiencies in the long run. -Paolo S. Romero