VOA慢速英语20060517a

HEALTH REPORT - Drink Companies Agree Not to Sell Sugary Soda¹ in U.S. SchoolsBy Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Wednesday, May 17, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Health Report.

These days, about half of all drinks sold in American schools are sugary soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi. Opponents have fought these sales for years. They say sugary soft drinks are largely responsible for the increase in overweight young people.


A milk machine in a Wisconsin school. Low-fat milk is covered in the agreement.

The soft drink industry has rejected the blame and raised the issue of not enough physical exercise. But earlier this month there was a big announcement. The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo and Cadbury Schweppes have agreed to stop selling these products in schools.

The companies agreed to limit sales in high schools to diet soft drinks, sports drinks, juices, milk and water. High schools sell the most soft drinks. Elementary and middle schools would be limited to bottled water, milk and juice.

Limits on serving sizes and calorie counts in drinks are also part of the agreement.

States such as California and Connecticut have already banned or restricted soft drink sales in public schools. Other places have been considering action.

Leading soda makers² say less than one percent of their money comes from school sales. But many schools face limited budgets. Marketing³ agreements with food and drink companies offer one solution. Many parents and others, though, say it is a bad solution.

The industry agreement is part of a campaign to reduce childhood obesity⁴. The campaign is led by the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association.

The government says five percent of teenagers were overweight in nineteen eighty. By two thousand four, it was seventeen percent. For younger children, the rate increased from seven to nineteen percent.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest had threatened legal action if no agreement was reached. The group argues that sugary soda should come with health warnings, just like cigarettes.

The agreement is expected to be fully⁵ in place by two thousand ten. But other companies do not have to honor it. And some people say it does not go far enough.

In a separate development, the Disney Company and McDonald's last week announced an end to their ten-year alliance⁶. Both sides say the decision to stop marketing Disney-related products in McDonald's Happy Meals was for business reasons. They rejected suggestions that Disney did not to be linked to concerns about fast food and overweight children.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. I'm Steve Ember.

1 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

2 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

4 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。