More California Children Consuming Sugary Drinks
Nearly one-third of California children between the ages of 2 and 11 drink one or more sugary drinks per day. (1) That percentage represents an alarming increase since 2009, when just over one-quarter of the state’s children had one or more sugary drinks per day.
Sugary drinks include soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, tea and juice drinks with added sugar, but do not include diet beverages or 100 percent juice.
According to previous research, one in three young adults in California already has prediabetes, a precursor to life-threatening Type 2 diabetes. (2)
The problem seems to be especially severe among low-income communities and the reductions in consumption observed in the past are reversing.
“Children are still drinking too much sugar. In order to keep our kids healthy and our chronic disease rates and costs from skyrocketing, we need to reverse this trend.” (3)
Sugary drinks pose a risk of dental caries because of their high sugar content as well as enamel erosion because of their acidity. Since kids are drinking more sweetened beverages than milk, they are getting too little calcium for growing teeth and bones.
Kids need to know that sweetened beverages are bad for their health. Sugary drinks can lead to excessive weight gain, tooth decay, small appetite, picky eating and a multitude of additional health problems. That’s where parents can make the most difference. Changing your child’s diet can be a challenge, but providing them with healthy drink options is a great first step.
If you are trying to make the switch from sugary drinks to a healthier alternative, here are a few tips that might make that change easier:
- Milk and water are the best drinks for children.
- Stock the fridge with single-serve drinks such as low-fat chocolate mile, flavored waters or 10-calorie juices.
- Dilute grape juice, cranberry juice, Gatorade, and Powerade with water or club soda while trying to retrain your child.
- Avoid keeping sweet drinks in the house and try not to drink them yourself.
Read more about the study at healthpolicy.ucla.edu.
(1) Study conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and funded by The California Endowment
(2) Susan Babey, PhD, lead author of the study and co-director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research’s Chronic Disease Program
(3) Flojaune Cofer, state policy director at Public Health Advocates
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