College students still have to finish their homework on time and listen to their teachers, but are adult enough to make their own food choices, according to PepsiCo.

In a new move to promote smart food choices, more than 200 countries will be affected by the company's decision to stop selling its soft drinks in elementary schools and high schools by 2012, said spokeswoman Michelle Naughton.  But students in higher education will still be able to find the company's sugary beverages on campus.

Penn State senior Emily Simmons said she thinks the plan is a good idea.

"I'm not really an expert on health, but it would make sense that if kids don't get hooked on sugar at young ages, then it would help prevent obesity," Simmons said.

But some health and nutrition experts said PepsiCo's decision to stop selling soda for students up to 18 years old does not go far enough.

Jody Whipple, a nutritionist at Penn State's University Health Services, said fewer sugary drinks is better for everyone’s body, no matter the age.

"Selling these types of beverages in a college setting certainly isn't benefiting students," she said.

The unhealthy choice of regularly drinking soda can lead to too many calories and too much energy for the average person, she said.  It can also cut out important nutrients like calcium and Vitamin C.

But PepsiCo's main competitor, Coca-Cola Co., is not going to stop distributing to primary and high schools unless they are requested to stop, the company announced earlier this month.

"We believe school authorities should have the right to choose what is best for their schools," Coca-Cola spokeswoman Crystal Warwell Walker said.

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