I. Introduction As the morning rush begins may adults, teens and children get sucked into the same morning rut. Even if they take time for what they think to be a healthy breakfast most don’t realize what they are following it up with. The high sugar content n many drinks being marketed as “healthy” are negatively impacting the health of people across the country. II. Body Have you ever stopped and read the label on your drink of choice or what you’re giving your children to drink?
Sugar content in beverages is at an all time high. Most families wouldn’t think of giving a child a Coke with their breakfast but considering that the sugar content found in Sunny Delight, Choc. Milk, and apple or orange juice have the same amount of sugar you could. In fact grape juice has the same sugar equivalence as a RockStar Energy drink. How sugary drinks Affect Childhood Obesity by Becki Andrus, published July 26, 2010 states “Child obesity has tripled and children ages 6-11 are 20% more likely to be obese”.
The high sugar content in many popular drinks is a leading cause in childhood obesity. The CDC (Center of Disease Control) states “Sugar drinks are the largest source of added sugar and calories in the diets of children in the United States”; in their article “A Growing Problem” published Apr. 27, 2012. Fruit juices as well as soda are a growing problem. Hooked on Juice an Independent website looks back in saying “Way back in the day, fruit juice (usually orange, grapefruit or tomato) was regarded as something of a treat.
You would have a little 4 or 6 oz. glass with your breakfast”. Once the fruit packing industry became involved it changed with slogans such as “drink a full big glass” and “Orange Juice – it’s not just for breakfast anymore. ” Juice is now being introduced to children at very early ages in bottles, Sippy cups and juice boxes. Adults and children consume more juice and sugary drinks than ever before, with meals and throughout the day causing the rise in obesity across the United States. Soft drinks and sweetened drinks are also heavily advertised.
TV commercials encourage children to ask for them and convenience and grocery stores have them easy to find and often times on sale. Making it easy for parents to say yes or surprise their kids with the drink they’ve been wanting. Seldom do you see ad’s for water and especially not geared toward children. Not may children would be happy if mom or dad brought home bottled water unless there were single serve Kool-Aid packets to go with it. Obesity isn’t the only negative affects of these sweet drinks. Dentists also have great concern.
As you can see from this picture the dangers of soda and juices go much further than the calories. Many mothers feel juice is a good choice and is promoted not only by TV and marketing groups but also government agencies such as WIC who promote large amounts of juice. Imagine the pain a child must feel with a mouth like this. Because it is so painful to chew the tragic solution is for them to drink more to avoid the pain so they drink more juice thinking it is the healthy choice. It’s like adding fuel to the fire.
Fruit juices and sodas often pack in more than just sugar. They come also with ph. levels around 2. 3, which is double the level in acid found in car batteries. Dentists across America are being more proactive and educating families on these problems. However families who cannot afford dental care, are left not only uneducated on this matter but often times suffering with painful tooth decay. In addition to obesity and poor dental health juice and soda have also been associated with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
ADHD is characterized by restlessness, difficulty focusing, poor impulse control, distractibility, and over activity. Sugar also causes many of these same symptoms mimicking ADHD. Although sugar does not cause ADHD when diagnosed correctly it does increase the symptoms of the disease. Many times it is directly responsible for the misdiagnosis in children at which time children are medicated un-warranted. According to Joel Fuhman, M. D. In his article Disease proof published on Sept.
26, 2012, “Between 2003 and 2007, there was a 22% increase in ADHD in the United States”. Think of how many of those cases are children whom have been mis-diagnosed and now are putting harmful medications into their fragile bodies everyday simply because of the amounts of sugar they are consuming. III. Conclusion Misguidance by media, low incomes, and lack of education are only a few reasons Americans have fallen into a downward health spiral when it comes to the over use of sugary drinks.
Not only is it difficult to find information on alternatives but also often due to cost families is forced to choose the unhealthy and often cheaper product. Don’t be fooled by the labels of 100% real fruit juice or no artificial sweetener, Sugar is still Sugar. Like many things in life juice is good for you only in moderation. Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician was known for saying: A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings and let our food be our medicine and our medicine be our food.