To promote good health among UTSA’s students, the university must curb — or better yet discontinue — its sale of Pepsi soda products in the 130 cold beverage vending machines on UTSA’s three campuses.

Two out of every three American adults are obese. In Bexar County, over 50 percent of adults are overweight and obese. Reducing soda and sugary drink consumption has proven to be effective for weight loss and weight management in obese and overweight adults.

Nutrient-dense sugar-sweetened soft drinks threaten consumer health as well as body composition.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, drinking one soda a day can shorten an individual’s life.

A 2014 study by Harvard School of Public Health linked 25,000 obesity-related deaths to the individuals’ consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks.

Cigarettes and tobacco products are not sold in campus vending machines; soft drinks and other sugar-laden junk foods should not be either.

While diet is an individual choice, high calories should not be promoted at the university as a food option on campus.

Curbing the sale and consumption of soft drinks on campus and restricting access to the harmful beverages is the first step in cultivating top-tier graduates.