The foods and beverages schools offer outside of meal programs are often called competitive foods because they compete with school meals for students' spending.
More than half of the students in this Philadelphia study shopped at corner stores once daily, five days per week. Chips, candy, and sugary drinks were the most frequently purchased items.
Over nearly the past 30 years, U.S. children and adolescents have dramatically increased their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, including soda, fruit drinks and punches, and sports drinks.
In the middle of a national obesity epidemic, many sports drinks sold in the United States contain high amounts of sugar, adding more calories to youths’ diets.
A poll reveals that many parents face a variety of barriers to helping their children lead healthy lives, especially during the "crunch time" from 3 p.m. to bedtime.