An Act to Protect Youth from the Health Risks of Sugary Drinks: A factsheet
Resource summary
This page includes a brief summary of our factsheet on Massachusetts bill S.1396, An Act to Protect Youth from the Health Risks of Sugary Drinks. To view the full factsheet, click the “View Resource” button above or below.
Massachusetts bill S.1396 would improve the health of MA youth by making changes in schools and chain restaurants to improve the quality of foods available to kids and protect them from harmful marketing practices that contribute to overconsumption of unhealthy foods, including sugar-sweetened beverages.
The problem
Youth overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is harmful but preventable
- Eating a balanced diet is essential to ensure optimal health and growth for kids and teens, yet many struggle to achieve this. Adolescents, in particular, have the lowest diet quality of any age group and overconsumption of added sugars is a major contributor to low diet quality among youth.
- Sugar-sweetened beverages are the top source of added sugars in children’s diets and are associated with weight gain, dental decay, and increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
- The foods and drinks available at grocery stores, restaurants, and in schools play an important role in shaping youth diets. Children and teens are also frequently exposed to food and beverage advertising, which affects their preferences and choices.
The solution
This bill will:
Require added sugar warning icons on chain restaurant menus
- Warning icons would appear next to menu items with 50 grams of added sugars or more, equal to an entire day’s worth
Require kids' meals at chain restaurants to meet nutrition standards:
- Contain no more than 600 calories, 770 milligrams of sodium, 35% of calories from total sugars, 35% of calories from fat, 10% of calories from saturated fat, and 0.5 grams of trans fat
- Contain at least 2 servings of fruit (not including juice or spreads), non-fried vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, or low- or non-fat milk, dairy, or cheese
- Beverages must be water (no added sweeteners or flavors), unflavored low- or non-fat dairy or nondairy milk, or 100% juice with a maximum size of 6 ounces
Reduce unhealthy food advertising in schools
- Prohibit unhealthy food advertisements on school property, including buildings, athletic fields, signs, scoreboards, buses, vending machines, uniforms, etc.
Stop the use of sugarydrinks as rewards in schools
- Prohibit schools from participating in incentive programs that reward kids with free or discounted sugary drinks for reaching academic goals or reward schools for selling sugary drinks
Improve media literacy education
- Encourage schools to teach media literacy skills in grades 3-12, including skills for evaluating advertisements for food, beverages, drugs, and alcohol
Click “View Resource” to learn more!