Former President Bill Clinton and the American Heart Association negotiated a deal with the biggest beverage distributors in the U.S. whereby they will voluntarily slash soda sales in public schools. The companies have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools. High school students will additionally be offered diet and unsweetened teas, diet sodas, sports drinks, flavored water, seltzer and low-calorie sports drinks. The deal is a response to the rising problem of obesity in children and will affect nearly 35 million kids.
Clinton, who has slimmed down and cut out junk food since his heart attack, is optimistic that the change will make a big impact on waistlines, "If a child eliminates just 45 calories per day starting when he is eight-years-old, he will weight 20 pounds less by the time he graduates from high school." (AP story)