| Although they lack many necessary nutrients and accelerate 
                    tooth decay, soft drinks have been shown to provide up to 
                    one-quarter of all the calories eaten by children and adolescents. 
                    Another problem with these beverages is that the more of them 
                    kids drink, the less milk and juice they drink. Is soft-drink 
                    consumption also associated with eating fewer fruits and vegetables? 
                   
 More than 500 students in grades four through six in Houston, 
                    Texas, provided diet records in their classrooms for 3-7 days. 
                    The results of this study, published in the American Journal 
                    of Public Health, showed that sweetened beverages accounted 
                    for 51% of the volume of beverages drank by students each 
                    day (soft drinks and fruit-flavored drinks were both considered 
                    sweetened beverages).   The 
                    study also showed that students who drank the most sweetened 
                    beverages ate 62% less fruit than students who drank the least. 
                    Additionally, those who drank the most sweetened beverages 
                    consumed about 330 more calories per day (and consumed more 
                    high-fat vegetables) than those who did not consume any sweetened 
                    drinks.
 Fruits and true fruit juices provide nutrients that reduce 
                    risks for sickness and chronic diseases, and not drinking 
                    enough of them as a child may lead to bad habits lasting into 
                    adulthood. Obviously, if a child is filling up on sugary drinks, 
                    he or she won't have room for other, healthier foods and drinks, 
                    and may be consuming too many calories in the process.  Reference: Cullen KW, Ash DM, et al. Intake of soft drinks, fruit-flavored 
                    beverages, and fruits and vegetables by children in grades 
                    4 through 6. American Journal of Public Health 2002:92(9), 
                    pp. 1475-1478. For more nutrition information, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/nutrition. |