Soda Pop – Do You Know What Your Child Is Drinking?
15 Aug 2005
What current lifestyle problem bothers me the most today? It’s seeing obese children guzzling cans of liquid candy. Parents must be totally unaware of the can’s contents. But if they know the health consequences, and do nothing about it, they should see psychiatrists.
Harvard researchers have linked soft drinks to childhood obesity. Today there are over 18 million obese children in North America, a disaster waiting to happen.
Children and adults are consuming soda pop in increasing amounts. In 1947 100 cans of soda pop were consumed per person per year. By 1997 it had escalated to 580 cans.
Sugar itself is not the problem. It’s the amount of sugar consumed by children. If parents noticed a child adding 10 teaspoonfuls of sugar to a glass of water, surely a red light would flash on. But that is the actual amount of sugar in a 10 ounce soft drink. This is not a healthy drink.
And drinks today are often super-sized. In 1950 soda pop bottles contained six and a half ounces. Now, many retailers offer 44 ounce drinks, a massive amount of sugar.
Calories, not just sugar, pile on weight. But it’s easy to drink liquid sugar and not feel full. A can of sweet cola won’t make you want fewer calories later in the day. Solid foods having more bulk decrease the hunger reflex, and even many of them contain unseen sugar.
Since obese children almost invariably become obese adults, a large number will eventually develop diabetes. This leads later to heart disease, hypertension, kidney failure blindness and leg amputations all complications pf diabetes.
Parents with hyperactive children should also consider their cola consumption. Dr. Alan Hirsch, a Chicago researcher, has linked increased caffeinated cola intake to childhood behaviour problems. He reports that children who consume caffeinated cola are more apt to suffer from attention deficit disorders. Most cola drinks contain anywhere from 35 to 44 milligrams of caffeine.
Few parents realize the bone-weakening effect of soft drinks. 10 years ago Harvard researchers reported that teenage girls who consumed large amounts of cola suffered more broken bones. These girls were five times more likely to suffer fractures. Later, an Irish study reached the same conclusion.
Caffeine increases the excretion of calcium by the kidneys leaving less to be incorporated into bone. Colas also contain phosphoric acid which may lower levels of calcium. The effect of cola and soft drinks in the development of osteoporosis later in life is not known.
Excessive amounts of sugar are linked to dental caries. No doubt the sugar in cola drinks adds to this problem. But you cannot lay all the blame for dental problems on the cola industry. Children’s teeth develop dental caries primarily due to poor dental hygiene. How often do we see children going off to school eating a chocolate bar or other foods loaded with sugar? You can bet your last dollar that the next time teeth are brushed will be at bedtime.
One-third of North Americans have lost all their teeth by age 60. Today’s children may lose them sooner. And it’s only after people have lost all their teeth that they realize the truth of Cervantes statement that, "every tooth in a person’s head is more valuable to them than a diamond".
Children and parents must be taught Aristotle’s golden mean. That the goal is "moderation" in sugar, protein, carbohydrate and fat. But the greatest effort in moderation must be in caloric intake. This is the only sure way to healthy lifestyle.
I wonder when I see obese children how this dilemma can ever be solved. It won’t be cured by endocrinologists and other medical specialists who can only treat the result of years of faulty living. Rather, the cure for lifestyle problems lies in the brain. And what we need are psychiatrists who convince parents to steer their children away from the road to self destruction.
But children are running out of time. One recent study showed that today’s children will be the first generation not to live as long as their parents. Why? Childhood obesity and diabetes that accompanies this epidemic problem.
