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As I worked on developing Wateroos, I began learning
more and more about children’s health issues.
And some of what I learned about the health impact
that sugary drinks can have on kids shocked
me!
I knew that soft drinks didn’t have many redeeming qualities
but I was really surprised to learn that juice wasn’t much
better in terms of sugar content. Did you know that a 6.75- ounce
100% juice box can contain as much as 4-5 teaspoons of sugar? I
sure didn’t!
And so I thought you might want to know some of the interesting
things I learned about water, juice, and kids’ health…
…
100% Juice with “No Sugar Added” doesn’t necessarily
mean low sugar. Read some
facts >>
…
It’s better for kids to eat fruit than to “drink” it. Read
some facts>>
…
Children’s health experts are now recommending that parents
limit children’s juice consumption and that they serve milk
and water instead. Read
some facts>>
…
Water is best for providing hydration and can help fight obesity. Read
some facts >>
And Wateroos is not only a healthier
drink for kids, it also can help make busy moms’ lives easier,
too. Read
how >>
…
100% Juice with “No Sugar Added” doesn’t necessarily
mean low sugar.
| • |
Learning
the metric conversion from grams to teaspoons (4.745 grams
equals one teaspoon) was eye-opening. Now when I read nutrition
labels, I can understand that the 20 grams of sugar in a
standard 6.75-ounce juice box is around 4 teaspoons. That’s
a lot of sugar! |
| • |
Juice is
essentially water and sugar. A 12-ounce bottle of unsweetened
grape juice has 228 calories and approximately 10 teaspoons
of sugar. |
| • |
The American
Academy of Pediatrics says too much juice can decrease a
child's appetite for other more nutritious foods which can
contribute to a poorly balanced diet. |
| • |
In very
young children, too much juice cuts the appetite for nutritionally
superior milk or formula; in older children it supplements
other foods, adding hundreds of excess calories. |
[Top]
… It’s better
for kids to eat fruit than to “drink” it.
| • |
While
fruit juice does have vitamins, nutritionists say it's inferior
to fresh fruit. The new U.S. dietary guidelines urge consumers
away from juice, suggesting they eat whole fruit instead.
The bottom line, though, is that "children need very
few calories in their day," said researcher Jean Welsh
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Sweet
drinks are a source of added sugar in the diet." She
said preschoolers were better off snacking on fruit and drinking
water or milk. |
| • |
Calories
in juice are concentrated – just a 4 ounce cup of
apple juice has 60 calories, the same amount as a whole apple
but without the fiber that makes fruit filling. |
| • |
Dr. William
Dietz, with the division of nutrition and physical activity
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says parents
need to be firm – thirst is satisfied with water, hunger
with solid foods. Caloric beverages can blur that line. |
| • |
While juice
can be a healthy way to occasionally get picky children to
consume more fruit, researchers say using it too often can
exacerbate bad eating habits by training kids to prefer – and
hold out for – something sweet. |
[Top]
… Children’s health experts are now recommending
that parents limit children’s juice consumption and that
they serve milk and water instead.
| • |
The
American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2001 guidelines recommend
that no juice be given to infants under 6 months old; no
more than 4 to 6 ounces of pasteurized juice a day for kids
ages 1 to 6; and 8 to 12 ounces for ages 7 and up. |
| • |
Dr. David
Ludwig, an expert on pediatric obesity at Children's Hospital
Boston, said recently, "Juice is only minimally better
than soda. With the possible exception of milk, children
do not need any calorie-containing beverages." |
| • |
“Kids
should just have milk and water. There is no real need for
juice,” said Dr. Sharon Rink of ThedaCare Pediatrics
in Appleton, Wisconsin. “Studies show that kids who
consume larger quantities of juice are more obese than kids
who don’t.” |
[Top]
… Water
is the best for providing hydration and can help fight obesity.
| • |
Hydrating
a child optimally requires the same rule of thumb we use
as adults. The basic number of fluid ounces of water to
be consumed daily is equal to half the number of pounds
the body weighs. For example, a fifty-pound child should
drink at least 25 ounces (3 to 4 eight-ounce cups) of water
daily. And more is needed with increased physical activity
and in hotter weather. |
| • |
“What
is needed to replace fluid loss and satisfy thirst is the
same beverage we've been drinking for millions of years,
and that's water," said David Ludwig, an expert on
pediatric obesity at Children's Hospital in Boston. |
| • |
Obesity
rates for elementary-school students have tripled in the
last three decades; today almost 1/3 of all children are
overweight or are at risk of becoming overweight. Health
officials now say high-calorie beverages have little place
in a young child's diet. |
[Top]
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