The number of obese children in America is on the rise and the percentage of obese children has nearly doubled since 1980. A growing concern over these growing children has initiated research to determine the factors that are contributing to this trend. The latest research points to sugar-sweetened drinks, soda in particular, as major contributors to weight gain. A study published in the Feb. 17 issue of The Lancet reports that as little as an extra soft drink per day increases a child’s chance of becoming obese by 60 percent. There are significant amounts of added sugars in such beverages, but can we really place all of the blame on soft drinks?

The researchers of the Lancet study, led by David S. Ludwig, M.D., of Children’s Hospital in Boston, monitored more than 500 children ages 11-12 in Massachusetts for two years and recorded their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, fruit drinks (Kool-Aid, Hawaiian Punch, lemonade), and iced-tea. The researchers also noted changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) throughout the time period. BMI is an index derived from body weight and height and is often used as an indicator for obesity.

What the researchers found was that even after accounting for factors like dietary intake, physical activity, and television viewing, there was a relationship between an increased consumption of soft drinks and the risk for becoming obese in these children — as much as a 60 percent increase in risk.

This results are limited by the fact that the researchers only analyzed developing adolescents when BMI is naturally changing and for focusing on many children who were already obese at the onset of the study. Further, the results involve an “extra soft drink per day” and do not necessarily account for the total number of soft drinks consumed per day.

Researchers also tracked the children’s intake of pure fruit juice, though they say this did not contribute to their findings. Pure fruit juices contain “natural sugars” whereas soft drinks, the focus of the study, contain “added sugars.” Groups including the Center for Science in the Public Interest often target drinks with “added sugars,” such as sodas and fruit drinks as causes of obesity because they are high in calories but low in nutrition.

According to Ruth Kava, childhood obesity is a problem of many factors and does not solely result from the overconsumption of soft drinks. She states, “[i]n considering causes of childhood obesity, the most important issues are consumption of excess calories and inactivity levels.

When it comes to obesity, a calorie is still a calorie. To help combat this disturbing trend in children, parents should be sure to monitor all aspects of their children’s diets rather than implicating one particular source of calories as the culprit. Kava adds, “Demonizing one food or one ingredient sends a misleading message to parents and children alike.”

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You’re at work it’s 4 p.m. and you absolutely need a snack, but the only food available is from a vending machine. Most snacks from vending machines are not nutritionally good. Your best choice from the machine is a bag of pretzels, but remove the surface salt before eating them. Better yet, next time bring your own snacks; fruits, nuts and carrots are very healthy snacks.

Everybody loves pizza and it can be a healthy choice if you’re making your own at home where you can substitute healthier cheeses and use less oil. Still, most of us will go out for pizza and once in a while it’s okay. One thing that you can do and should do is to use napkins to blot that pizza. The amount of oil that you can absorb with napkins can be amazing.

Next time you’re watching a good movie at home instead of munching on salty chips or nachos with cheese try unsalted pretzels with low-fat cottage cheese as a dip. It’s actually very good and much healthier.

Instead of using beef to make meatballs and lasagna, trying using ground lean turkey. I’ve fooled many people that thought they were eating beef when all along it was turkey.

If you have a sweet tooth, buy candies that are sweetened with fruit juice instead of sugar. You can find these in most supermarkets.

Also, if you love going to the bakery for cookies and pastries find out if they have baked goods prepared for dietetics. Many bakeries are carrying cookies and pastries that are sweetened with fruit juices.

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