Do you buy soft drinks? Several recent studies have been in the news and seem to confirm what I have thought for a while - sugary soft drinks really have no place in a child's diet. I must admit I was a mom who purchased different soft drinks of every color of the rainbow. But about 15 years ago, I just stopped buying them altogether as I was convinced that not only did they all have enormous amounts of sugar, they were expensive, and if I bought them they somehow disappeared quickly from the refrigerator. They were like many other foods: can't just eat one.
Over time my kids stopped complaining that we didn't have any Cokes and my husband decided that he would drink sugar free drinks if he was going to have a soft drink at all. I would occasionally buy soft drinks for a party or something, but other than that our children resorted to drinking milk, water and Gatorade after sporting events. And guess what, they didn't run away from home, even after threatening that it was not fair.
I have routinely asked parents and children if they drink soft drinks. I am continually amazed at how many families have soft drinks as their beverage of choice for dinner. Calories, calories, calories, and all unnecessary, yet alone the cavities that might be forming.
New research now confirms that drinking sugary beverages interacts with genes that affect weight, and in certain individuals will cause even greater weight gain and eventually may pack on pounds leading to obesity. With 1/3 of U.S. children being overweight or obese, this research would confirm that children (and I would ditto this for adults) DO NOT NEED to drink sugary soft drinks at all.
Several other studies have shown that by giving overweight or obese children alternatives to sugary drinks, such as water of sugar free alternative beverages, you can reduce a child's weight gain. Those children who continued to drink sugar sweetened beverages during different studies gained anywhere from 2-4 lbs more per year than those who cut out the sugary drinks. If this is per year, then think of the cumulative effect.
Lastly, many tweens and teens not only drink sugar sweetened drinks but they super size them or get free refills. Just recently NYC made headlines when a law was passed restricting the sale of drinks larger than 16 ounces, all in hopes of helping combat obesity.
So parents take a stand and stop buying the drinks. If they are not in the house or available, most kids would not have access. Limit them for a special occasion. That is a good place to start.
