URBANA — As of July, the Uni High soda machines stopped dispensing regular sodas and sports drinks. Instead of regular Coca Cola, Sprite, or Barqs Root Beer, students now have a choice of Coke Zero, Diet Sprite, and Diet Barqs.

It hasn't been an especially popular change. In a recent Online Gargoyle poll, 47 percent of the 133 respondents said they "hate" the new policy, while 14 percent said they "love" it. (Thirty-nine percent said they "didn't care.")

Given the student reaction, it's fair to ask: Why did this happen, and is there anything that can be done about it?

The change

In May 2006, an agreement to stop selling high-calorie drinks in schools was brokered by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and signed by the three main soda distributers, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Cadbury Schweppes. It is set to take place in all schools by 2009-10.

“We got a warning when it happened, through the Illinois Principals Association, that it was going to be," said Assistant Director Sue Kovacs. "I thought we would be exempt because we are with the University of Illinois.”

According to Kovacs, Coke and Pepsi did not honor the fact that Uni is with the U of I because Uni is still a high school. Uni's contract is through the University, and therefore the school is not able to switch providers. Kovacs is still trying to negotiate an alternative plan.

The intent of the change is to stop the effects high-calorie drinks have on students during the school day.

Childhood obesity has tripled in school-age children since 1980. Most teens consume 35 to 50 percent of the calories they need in a day during school hours, and the sugar content they get from sugary drinks during the school day is equal to the amount of total sugars needed in a daily diet.

Consequences of the change

But are diet drinks an effective way to counter the trend? Some research has shown that drinking diet soda is actually connected to weight gain and obesity.

A 2005 study, for example, found that there was "a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day." However, the author of that study said the results didn't prove that diet sodas caused the weight gain:

Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, who conducted the study, posited that it is not the diet drinks but something associated with their use that is linked to weight gain, perhaps simply that use of diet drinks increased as a person noticed that he or she was gaining weight. Fowler also speculated that perhaps giving the body the "taste" of energy-rich foods triggers a search for the real thing, or, as nutrition expert Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, put it, "People think they can just fool the body. But maybe the body isn't fooled. If you are not giving your body that food energy you promised it, maybe your body will retaliate by wanting more energy.

Regardless of whether the evidence supports or refutes claims about the health benefits of diet drinks, one thing is certain: The agreement to take full-calorie sodas out of schools is being complied with throughout the country.

Already, 79 percent of schools have gone along with the changes, according to a study released this month by the Alliance for a Healhier Generation, which is a joint effort between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation.

"The number of shipments of full-calorie carbonated soft drinks to schools was 65 percent lower during the 2007-08 school year than it was in 2004," the report said. This has resulted in a "58 percent decrease in total beverage calories shipped to schools between 2004 and the 2007-08 school year."

Reactions to the change

Senior Isaac Chambers, executive president of Student Council, is one of the many students not pleased with the new restrictions. He points to research showing that diet sodas increase the appetite and could even lead to cancer.

Chambers believes restricting the types of sodas available in schools will not stop childhood obesity. Exercise, he says, is the only way to solve that.

Junior Loic Hostetter also thinks students should have a choice. Both Hostetter and fellow junior Horace Wang agree that they prefer the sugar in regular sodas to the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas and what they might do to the body.

In addition, many students prefer the taste of regular soda to diet.

"Diet soda is not as fulfilling as regular soda," said junior Zack Goldberg. "And it takes too much effort to walk across the street [to get a regular soda]."

However, both Goldberg and fellow junior Ben Suslick agreed that they will most likely continue to purchase sodas from the machines at Uni despite the new products.

"Actually, Derald's is probably a better place to get sodas now because they do offer sugary sodas whereas Uni doesn't," commented Suslick. "But I'm too lazy to go over there and walk to get a soda. If I really want a sugary soda I know where to get one."

Junior Maria Gao prefers diet soda to regular but isn't a fan of the new policy.

"I drink both regular and diet sodas so I wish there were more options for both," she said. "I don't really think we need to restrict sodas at Uni because we have such a great fitness program."

Kovacs herself is against this new policy. According to Kovacs, her physical therapist will only let her drink one diet soda a day because of what the chemicals do to her joints.

"Joint damage is long term; it doesn’t come back," she said. "You can lose weight if you're drinking too many pops that have sugar, but you can't restore damaged joints and things from the chemicals. I wish they hadn’t done it."

Not only can diet soda cause bone damage, it also contains an acid that damages your teeth every time you take a sip, and the "attack" lasts for 20 minutes after every sip you take. Drinking too much diet soda can damage tooth enamel and can cause cavities and tooth decay.

According to the Illinois State Dental Society, 50 percent of elementary schools, 75 percent of middle schools, and nearly all high schools have vending machines with drinks, and 75 percent of all drinks available are soft drinks of some kind.

Solutions

While students can go elsewhere on campus to get regular soda, thanks to Uni's open-campus policy, Kovacs has another idea for keeping regular sodas in the school. She suggests that clubs purchase sodas at grocery stores for cheap prices, chill them, and sell them at food sales for 50 or 60 cents. The new restrictions do not impact other food sales within the school.

"They'll make a fortune," she said.

Seniors Jason He and Arif Nelson are in the process of creating a club that sells regular soda during the school day, Club Coca-Cola.

"Our purpose is to fill the void left by the new vending machines," said He.

Club Coca-Cola is currently only selling Coca-Cola Classic but is looking into the addition of other regular sodas.

"Our 'club' isn't really a traditional club that meets once every week or anything," He explained. "We simply needed a way to keep track of payments, and we thought one method was to have our customers join a 'club' and reward our loyal members with discounts and free drinks."

According to He, anyone is welcome to join or buy from the club, but there is a limited number of supplies. Currently all members are seniors, but He welcomes other members while "membership is still available."

Club Coca-Cola sells every day during lunch, and club members are free to enjoy a soda anytime they want (supplies are kept in the kitchen).

"We are pleased with the positive feedback from both members and nonmembers," He said. "People are happy that Coke is available to them without the hassle of having to walk to a vending machine elsewhere on campus."