Anti-obesity, health advocates are at it again. They have successfully won a battle on having sodas banned in elementary schools by the 2008-2009 school year. They are furthering their cause by trying to also ban sports drinks in schools such as 'Gatorade' and 'Powerade' and flavored waters. They are claiming that sports drinks contain as much as two-thirds of the sugars in sodas, and more than three times the sodium.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has apparently agreed with this cause, enough, by introducing a bill in congress that would allow the government to decide what is best for the nation's children, in setting nutritional standards for all foods, drinks, and flavored vitamin waters in schools. The hotly debated topic ensues in congress between nutritional health care advocates and the trade group that represents the bottlers of these drinks. Are they really 'safer alternatives' or just 'junk food'? It certainly is garnering some attention in congress, and for other interested bystanders as well.
The trade group representing the manufacturers of these drinks, of course, are adamantly opposing this bill. They proclaim these drinks are lower in sugar and calories than sodas, and are appropriate, even essential, to young high school athletes.
But, there is more evidence coming from the University of California at Berkeley, that adds fuel to the health care advocates cause, that warns about the possible weight gain associated with consuming to many of these drinks. They conclude that students who drink one 20- ounce of the
