Atlanta Triggers Sizzling Soda Talk

Hurrah to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for launching some tantalizing talk about soda in the schools with their "Talk of the Town" item, "School vending machines lose their pop."

The newspaper — based in Atlanta, Georgia, which is home to The Coca-Cola Company — invited readers to comment on the latest news from the soda industry’s move to ban or restrict soda from the schools.

The AJC started the soda talk by asking readers the following: "Will pulling sodas and sugary drinks out of school vending machines help solve the child obesity problem? Or is it a symbolic gesture?"

It’s exciting to see the heated online discussion that ensued and is still going on. See yours truly’s remark there, too. 

Other newspapers, blogs and websites should take the lead from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to get the discussion going.

Join in. Get heard. Post on the AJC site.

And, of course, remember to post your thoughts here, too.

What do you think about this new soda industry policy? Is this just a shameless publicity stunt or a legitimate effort to help solve the childhood obesity problem?