Soft Drinks: A BIG problem for America's children

If you have kids, please curb or eliminate their intake of high-sugar soft drinks. These drinks are liquid candy and, as more and more research shows, they can have a very big negative impact on your child's health now and in the future...

From MSNBC and the AICR:

The soft drink explosion among kids: Studies link rise in soda consumption to childhood obesity

The consumption of soft drinks by American youth is increasing.

National dietary surveys show that carbonated soft drink consumption more than doubled in youths aged 6 to 17 from about 5 ounces per day in 1977-78 to 12 ounces in 1994-98, the most recent years for which national data is available. Adolescent boys' soft drink consumption more than tripled during those years.

There are at least two negative results to this soft drink explosion.

First, the use of soft drinks is likely related to the rise in childhood obesity. A variety of studies suggest that we don't eat fewer calories from other sources when we increase calories from beverages. If a child drinks 9 to 10 ounces of a soft drink, that's equivalent to almost 120 calories.

One study shows that youth who drink 9 ounces or more of soda a day consume almost 200 calories more each day than those who skip these beverages. If this amount of calories is consistently added to a youth's normal daily food intake, it can cause gradual weight gain. A small study of children 6 to 13 years old showed that they gained a quarter- to a half-pound per week over four to eight weeks when they drank more than 12 ounces a day of soft drinks.

In addition to the problem of weight gain, when children drink more soft drinks, they may drink less of beverages like 100 percent fruit juice and milk.

A child's nutrient intake would drop as a result. Younger children seem to be particularly at risk. In one study, preschoolers who drank nine or more ounces of soft drinks per day were almost four times as likely to drink less than 8 ounces of milk per day.

In general, kids who drink the most soft drinks get only about three-quarters of the calcium that nonconsumers of these drinks do. Those who drink more soft drinks also drink less fruit juice, so they get less vitamins A and C, too.

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