why we're "canning" the soda

There is a big change happening at Dayton Children’s today. If you head down to the Kid’s Spot (our newly combined Kids Care Shop and Spot Shop) you may notice that purchasing soda is no longer an option. And come May 1, all sugar-sweetened beverages will not be sold throughout Dayton Children’s.

For you soda pop lovers out there this may come as quite the shock. But let me take you on a journey of how we got to this decision and why it is right for our patients and their families.

Last year Dayton Children’s began its Healthy Way project which started with an assessment of our hospital – how do we compare to other institutions in supporting healthy living?

Well, Dayton Children’s did not measure up too well.

What? – A children’s hospital, one that is to promote health for our children, got a bad grade!

We learned that we could do better in helping employees, and even visitors, choose healthier lifestyles. As part of our CEO’s vision and our leadership’s strategic plan, Destination 2020, we formed committees to address our bad lifestyle grade. Change had to be in our midst – for the children and for the employees. One of the changes looked at was sugar-sweetened beverages!

Did you know??

• Dayton Children’s Hospital consumes 100 pounds of sugar per day from sugar-sweetened beverages, more than 36,500 pounds of sugar per year? That’s the same weight as three elephants!
• Sugar-sweetened beverages are the single largest contributor of calories and added sugar in the American diet.
• One-half of the population aged 2 and older consumes sugary drinks on any given day.
• Each 12-ounce serving of a carbonated, sweetened soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories.
• A child who consumes one can of regular soda needs to walk 45 minutes just to burn it off.
• In Ohio, one in three children born is overweight by age 8? We see the devastating effects of childhood obesity every day. These children are at higher risk for diabetes, asthma, poor mental health and chronic medication use.
• According to Dayton Children’s Hospital’s 2011 Regional Pediatric Health Assessment, 37 percent of our region’s children are overweight or obese.

With these facts in mind we made the decision to eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the hospital. This attempt in supporting our patients’, visitors’ and families’ healthy living continues the Healthy Way movement. If you find yourselves visiting Dayton Children’s, you will see this change. Please remember, other sugar free and low calorie beverages will continue to be available. And, there is always water!! Embrace the change!

If you want to learn more please read the press release sent by the hospital.

Please read on about the healthy updates in Dayton Children’s cafeteria!