F is for Fat looks at sugary drinks and obesity rates

Sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) has a been a hot topic for some time.  Many blame these sugary drinks on the obesity problem that we currently face.  According to the F is for Fat report these statistics can be attributed to the consumption of sugar-sweet- ened beverages:

• 75,000 new cases of diabetes
• 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease
• $1.4 billion in health care costs

SSBs account for between 10 percent to 15 percent of daily caloric intake among children and adolescents, and the percentage of caloric intake from SSBs has been steadily increasing over the past few decades.

Many people will think of soda when they hear sugary drinks.  But there is a reason that the reference is not to soda but a much broader category of drinks.

It might surprise you to know that some of the 100% fruit drinks can have as much sugar as a can of soda.  Of course it will have more vitamins but nonetheless, it has  a lot of sugar.  That is why it is so important to read food labels.

So how much sugar should your child drink?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’s Guidelines for Fruit Juice Consumption in Children:

• Juice should not be introduced into the diet of infants before 6 months of age.
• Infants should not be given juice from bottles or easily transportable covered cups that allow them to consume juice easily throughout the day. Infants should not be given juice at bedtime.
• Intake of fruit juice should be limited to 4 to 6 oz/day for children 1 to 6 years old.
• For children 7 to 18 years old, juice intake should be limited to 8 to 12 oz or 2 servings per day.
• Children should be encouraged to eat whole fruits to meet their recommended daily fruit intake.
• Infants, children, and adolescents should not consume unpasteurized juice.
• In the evaluation of children with malnutrition (overnutrition and undernutrition), the health care provider should determine the amount of juice being consumed.
• In the evaluation of children with chronic diarrhea, excessive flatulence, abdominal pain, and bloating, the health care provider should determine the amount of juice being consumed.
• In the evaluation of dental caries, the amount and means of juice consumption should be determined.
• Pediatricians should routinely discuss the use of fruit juice and fruit drinks and should educate parents about the differences between the two.

It may surprise you to learn that over half of the United States has imposed some sort of soda tax to try to fight this trend.  But unfortunately, these 1-4% tax does not seem to be curbing the consumption or overall obesity rates.  Some studies suggest that the tax rate has to be much higher to really make people stop and think before spending the money on sugary drinks.

Data from researchers at Bridging the Gap show that 33 states currently impose sales taxes on soda:

More resources:

Sugar In Kids' Fruit Juices Articles
Are Kids Drinking Too Many Calories?

New soda tax bill to help promote healthy kids

ADA announces guidelines to promote healthy eating during childcare