The Manchester team, based in the Arthritis Research Campaign's Epidemiology Unit, worked with researchers from the Institute of Public Health at the University of Cambridge to analyse health questionnaires and diet diaries by over 25000 45 “74 year-olds; completed as part of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation of Cancer) Norfolk study of diet and chronic disease in the 1990s. They then followed-up the participants over a nine year period to identify new cases of inflammatory polyarthritis (IP), including rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr Dorothy Pattison, who led the research, said: "We found that the average daily beta-cryptoxanthin intake of the 88 patients who had developed inflammatory polyarthritis was 40% lower than those who hadn't, and their intake of another carotenoid, zeaxanthin, was 20% lower.

"Those in the top third for beta-cryptoxanthin intake were only half as likely to develop IP as those in the lowest third, and vitamin C was also found to be an important factor."

The findings appear to confirm previous evidence that a modest increase in fruit and vegetables containing beta-cryptoxanthin and vitamin C, equivalent to one glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice each day, might help to protect against developing inflammatory joint diseases.

Dr Pattison has previously published research which found that both low intakes of fruit and vegetables (in particular those high in vitamin C), and high levels of red meat consumption were associated with an increased risk of developing IP.

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However the acids in soda pop are known to affect tooth enamel in ways that can lead to cavities.

There is also little conclusive science to demonstrate that regular doses of caffeine can have negative effects on brain development in children, and experts say there is no way for a parent to know how much caffeine their kids are getting.

The phosphoric acid in soda pop has also been a concern, and suspected of promoting the loss of calcium and rendering bones more prone to fracture.

Soft drink makers and bottlers, such as Cadbury Schweppes Plc, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., unanimously approved the policy.

As some states had already been looking at the school beverages issues, the announcement was welcomed and has elicited many positive comments from state senators and governors.

The American Beverage Association has asked companies and school districts to make changes as soon as possible.

Beverage companies do support health and wellness and education initiatives and appear to want to be more involved in these.

The announcement comes a month after the Center for Science in the Public Interest called for cigarette-style warnings on soft drinks to alert consumers that too much of the sugary beverages can make people fat and cause other health problems.

Also in the obesity battle is former President Bill Clinton, a once self confessed fat boy, who has formed a partnership between the William J. Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association, in an initiative to tackle childhood obesity in the United States by 2010.

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