Are soft drinks getting a bum rap? We don't think so.

The viewpoint presented in this article is that soft drink consumption is a contributing factor in the rising incidence of overweight among school-aged children. Misinformation must be dispelled so that resources can be directed to real, evidence-based concerns. Child nutrition advocates have called for reducing access to soft drinks in schools as an important step in optimizing healthful environments for children. School nutrition policies are being revised at national, state, and local levels. Along with other stakeholders, soft drink manufacturers must acknowledge the problem of rising rates of overweight in children and work within their spheres of influence to limit access to soft drinks in schools.