The federal government is considering guidelines that make it clear that soft drinks add pounds to a growing childhood obesity problem in the United States. The stakes for the soda makers in this debate couldn’t be higher. They claim their industry is being unfairly targeted as the bogeyman behind America’s expanding waistline, and insist that the problem is not that kids drink too much soda, it’s that they exercise too little. While the industry points its finger at parents, many nutritionists are saying its time the federal government stepped in to protect children’s health.
Guests:
Carlos Camargo, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and member of the federal scientific panel on new dietary guidelines.
Richard Adamson, vice president of the American Beverage Association, which represents soft-drink makers.
Peter Koutoujian, chairman of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Committee on Health Care.