To Lower Childhood Obesity, Don’t Sugarcoat the Facts about Sweet Drinks
Supported by the Irving Institute.
A new study at Columbia University suggests that giving mothers plain facts about the health risks of consuming sugary drinks during pregnancy
and early childhood may offer a new strategy to reduce childhood obesity.
The study was published in the journal Academic Pediatrics.
Why It’s Important
Obesity affects approximately 18% of children in the United States. Recent studies show that obesity is growing fastest among young children between the ages of 2 and 5 years.
“Emerging evidence suggests that regular consumption of sugary beverages, either by the mother during pregnancy or by the child before age 2, may increase a child’s risk of obesity later in childhood,” says the study’s lead author, Jennifer Woo Baidal, MD, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
A recent study found that sugary drinks may be marketed more heavily toward low-income children and teens.