Researchers performed a computer search using the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature and MEDLINE electronic databases, accessing all relevant articles published between 2000 and 2006. Two randomized studies examined the influence of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on adolescent weight gain. According to the researchers, these two studies “illustrate the strong argument that high-GI beverages and foods contribute to adolescent obesity by limiting satiety, increasing insulin resistance, and providing an abundance of excess energy storage.”
Because sugar-sweetened beverages increase blood glucose and decrease insulin sensitivity, they stimulate hunger (which leads to increased caloric intake) and increase the risk of developing obesity and diabetes. For example, according to one of the studies reviewed, consuming approximately one extra serving of a sugar-sweetened soft drink daily produced a 23-pound average increase in body mass over the course of 10 years.
Fortunately, there are healthier alternatives available. More and more companies are marketing 100-percent fruit juices, which help satisfy children’s daily requirement for fruit. While most juices don’t contain as many nutrients as whole fruit (which retain their skin and pulp), they’re better options than sugar-laden, empty-calorie soft drinks. And of course, you can never go wrong with water. According to the Cleveland Clinic, adequate water intake keeps joints lubricated, helps prevent constipation, reduces the risk of kidney stones, and lessens the severity of colds and flu.
Schools are beginning to limit or outright ban soft drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages. That’s a good start, but it’s not enough. Share this information with your patients and encourage them to keep those sodas and sugar-sweetened drinks away from their children. They’ll thank you for it when their children grow up healthy instead of suffering from obesity and weight-related disease.
