Children who consume more than eight ounces of sugary beverages on a daily basis are more likely to gain weight and be obese compared to children who avoid such concoctions, a new study revealed.
For their study, researchers evaluated the drinking habits of nearly 10,000 children at 9 months, 2 years, 4 years, and 5 years of age in order to understand the health impacts associated with consuming sweetened beverages at such an early age.
Parents were asked a variety of questions about their child’s consumption habits, including how much artificially sweetened beverages their child drank on a daily basis (defined as soda, sports drinks, and fruit drinks that were not 100% juice), and when they consumed these liquids (during meals, or as a snack).
Results
Researchers found many concerning connections and correlations after they analyzed the data, including:
- Among 4- and 5-year olds, a higher rate of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was linked to a higher body mass index.
- Among 5-year-olds, a greater consumption was associated with a higher likelihood of being obese.
- At ages 4 and 5, African American and Hispanic children had higher rates of regular sugary beverage consumption, as did individuals of a lower socioeconomic status.
- Sugary beverage consumption was not associated with obesity at age 2, but it was linked with being overweight in two of the three tests at age 4, and obese in all tests at age 5.
- Children who drank more sugary beverages were more likely to have a mother who was overweight.
- Kids who drank more than one serving a day were more likely to watch at least two hours of television on a daily basis.
Although the researchers conceded that their data could be slightly misleading because their study called for parents to accurately self-report dietary information, the results are still eye-opening, especially considering all the previous research that linked sugary beverage consumption to adverse health effects.
Health experts recommend that parents monitor their children’s beverage intake and swap sugary drinks with healthier options like water or milk.
Dr. Silverman comments
It is saddening to hear this data. I am disappointed to discover that children are exposed daily to this toxic substance. These drinks are basically sugar in a concentrated form.
The effect of sugar-sweetened beverages had anecdotally impacted me many years ago. I was still training when this young 3-year-old boy came in with his father. He weighed 100 lbs. He was enormous! How did he get so big? He was drinking from a bottle at 3. But not the baby bottle, a 2-liter bottle of sugar-sweetened soda. It was disgusting. Worse yet, this young boy’s life was already severely affected. The growth plates in some of his bones could not bear the weight and were failing, which can lead to permanent deformity and painful arthritis at a young age. The parents were oblivious to the danger.
So what is the answer? It’s been 13 years since I saw that kid and parents are clearly no smarter. Children and parents have been warned about the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup and sugar for decades. This article suggests that doctors need to work harder to ask the right questions of parents, but most doctors are already asking these questions. The parents are not taking reasonable steps to prevent obesity and help their kids. It’s about time someone holds these parents responsible rather than to expect the pediatrician to magically fix the world by asking some more questions. This is a problem in the society, not in the doctor’s office. It will not be dealt with effectively until our society and leadership comes to terms with it.
The study that needs to be conducted should answer the hypothesis: Obesity costs more to tax payers than the tax collected on the excess nutrients consumed.
In order change our society, we need to make it about the money; otherwise, sadly, no one will lift a finger to help.
Related source: MedPage Today