What kids drink at 5 could affect weight at 15

	Tweet

Parents may be setting their daughters up for weight problems simply by allowing them to drink two or more sweetened drinks daily while young, study findings hint.

Higher sweetened beverage intake, such as sodas and fruit and sport drinks, at age 5 years was linked to more body fat during the following 10 years, Dr. Laura Fiorito, at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, told Reuters Health in an email.

Higher body fat during the teen years has been tied to long-term overweight and other health problems such as diabetes and later heart disease, Fiorito and colleagues note in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Fiorito’s team looked at what 166 non-Hispanic white girls drank between the ages of 5 and 15. They also measured their weight, height, and body fat.

Body fat and weight did not vary depending on how much milk or juice made from 100 percent fruit the girls drank.

By contrast, after allowing for other factors tied to weight and body fat levels, girls who drank two or more sweetened drinks daily had higher percentages of body fat, weighed more, and were more likely to be overweight than girls who drank lesser amounts of such beverages.

For example, of the 5 and 15 year old girls drinking less than one drink, the researchers found about 16 and 19 percent overweight, respectively. Among those drinking 2 or more sweetened drinks, about 39 percent were overweight at 5 years, while and 32 percent were the same when 15 years old.

Therefore, caregivers of young children should substitute sweetened drinks with reduced-fat milk and water, Fiorito and colleagues conclude.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 2009.

RELATED STORIES:
Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco?   Would you stop eating out to lose weight?   McDonald’s New Menu Includes Calorie Information, UK   70 percent of 8-month-olds consume too much salt   What is it about grapefruit juice that affects some drugs?   Yogurt-like drink DanActive reduced rate of common infections in daycare children   New model system may better explain regulation of body weight   As unhealthy food outlets multiply, teens eat more junk   Research reveals link between beer and bone health   Can diet protect against asthma?   U.S. says drinking water on some planes contaminated   Home is where the healthy meal is

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]