Public health advocates want to ban the sale of Gatorade and Powerade, which typically contain as
much as two-thirds the sugar of sodas and sodium, as well as sweetened waters such as VitaminWater and SoBe Life Water. The trade group representing Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other bottlers, counters that
sports drinks and sweetened waters are lower in calories, "appropriate" for high school students and "essential" to young athletes.
For Harkin, allowing sports drinks in schools could be a
deal-breaker. "Our most recognized national health watchdog--the Institute of Medicine--said sports drinks are equivalent to flavored water, noting their high sugar content," he says.
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