Banning Sugary Drink Sales May Help Employees Lose Weight

BOSTON (CBS)- Banning the sale of sugary drinks at work may sound extreme, but one large employer did just that and its employees saw big benefits

For 10 months, the University of California, San Francisco banned the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, sports drinks, and sweetened teas in vending machines and cafeterias. People could still bring in their own sugary drinks from outside the workplace.

At the end of the study, the consumption of sugary drink had fallen by almost 50% and 70% of employees studied experienced a drop in waist size. There was also a trend toward lower cholesterol and an improvement in insulin resistance.