H2O RULES AT GLENDALE SCHOOLS.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

GLENDALE- Local students seem to be embracing a healthier lifestyle as sales of bottled water, sports drinks and low-fat chips have shot up in the last six months at Glendale's high schools, surpassing the sale of the once wildly popular sodas.

Local high schools began slowly replacing sodas with water, flavored water and sports drinks despite concerns that revenues would decrease and affect funding for student body activities like drill team and the newspaper. But revenues have remained steady due to booming water sales.

Glendale Unified School District spokesman Vic Pallos said that based on reports from high schools, many more students are drinking the water and sports drinks now than this time last year.

``I think the greater number of choices that we can give students, the more receptive they will be to making the transition to the bottled water and non-soft drinks,'' Pallos said.

Hoover High School originally stocked its shelves with the 20-ounce water bottles, thinking they wouldn't sell. But since it brought in the more convenient 24-ounce sports bottles, it can't keep them on the shelves.

``Of all the sales in one week, water is probably about 20 percent of all drink sales,'' said JoAnne Memmott, the Hoover High store clerk. ``It's the number one seller. We order more water than anything else.''

A survey of Hoover's school store after lunch shows what kids are demanding. The water, flavored water and sports bottle shelves in the refrigerators were depleted, while the sodas sold in quantities in the single digits.

``There's been a 30 to 40 percent upswing in water sales from last spring to now,'' said Kevin Welsh, co-principal of the 2,700-student Hoover High School. ``We've found that most kids, when given the choice, are buying more water. It quenches thirst the best.''

The No. 1 selling snack at the store remains low-fat pretzels, followed by Sun Chips, Baked Lay's and Baked Doritos. The healthier chips used to constitute less than 10 percent of sales at Hoover, but now have reached 25 percent.

In fact, Hoover High's student store clerk said she's looking for a vendor that offers sugar-free and low-fat products at a reasonable price, sure that there would be a demand by students. Current vendors like Hostess and Frito-Lay don't currently offer as many nutritious, tasty alternatives to junk food.

``Oh, yeah. They would buy them. Kids are always asking for stuff like that,'' Memmott said. ``There are a lot of kids here that are concerned about fat - that's why they buy the water. Kids watch the news and they're aware of what's going on out there about fat and weight.''

Those who are aware of the high sugar content of sodas and high fat of snacks said they'd like to see healthier options like rice cakes and dried fruits offered at school.

``I try to look for healthier foods, but the school doesn't have it,'' said Hoover High senior Viel Catig, 17. ``It's hard to find food to eat that doesn't make you fat.''

Francesca de la Rosa, organizer for the Healthy School Food Coalition, a grass-roots organization of parents, teachers and students working to change the current quality of school food in the Los Angeles Unified School District, said what's happening at Hoover High proves what her group has maintained all along: If kids have the option of healthy snacks and beverages, they'll choose to eat the healthier options.

``Every conversation I have with people, the general assumption is that kids don't want to eat healthy or don't like to eat healthy. Yeah, they prefer the junk food because that's all they know,'' de la Rosa said.

``But they do if they are provided the options. I'm not shocked at all that these kids are choosing water. There is a demand out there, but it's just about convincing the district and the schools to give in to that demand.''

Students said that the media attention surrounding national obesity and juvenile diabetes has made them think critically about what they put in their mouths.

``I used to drink a lot of soda and got really chubby,'' said Hoover student Naji Hamoui, 17, who gave up the carbonated drinks two years ago. ``It's an easy thing to give up to keep weight under control.''

But there are still students who regularly drink sodas and eat junk food.

``I don't want the student store looking like Trader Joe's,'' said Harout Kilafian, 17.

In spite of snack sales slumps at Los Angeles Unified schools offering granola and soy milk, healthy food advocates are encouraged by positive eating trends at a handful of area schools.

``There's a lot of great stuff happening and all it means is in the next couple of years what kids are eating and what kids are eating at home is going to be changing,'' de la Rosa said. ``Even in two years, it's going to be much, much different.''

Naush Boghossian, [phone]

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Hoover High student Jessica Guardado drinks up from a bottle of water purchased at the school's store, which is also well-stocked with soda and other junk food. Water, however, is the shop's top seller.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer