28 Apr Did you know that sugary drinks are high in kilojoules, leading to weight gain and obesity?

Did you know that sugary drinks are high in kilojoules, leading to weight gain and obesity?  Sugary drinks include all non-alcoholic water based beverages with added sugar such as non-diet soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks and cordial.

Research has shown that consuming 340ml of sugary drink a day (which equates to less than one can) increases your risk of type 2 diabetes by 22% when compared to drinking one can a month or less.

Top 5 reasons why sugary drinks are bad for your child:
1. Excess weight gain 
Sweet drinks are high in energy (kilojoules) and contain very little nutrition for your child’s diet. Regular intake of sweet drinks may lead to excess weight gain.

2. Tooth decay 
Many drinks contain acid that weakens tooth enamel, which can lead to tooth decay. Putting sugary drinks into feeding bottles for toddlers can cause decay to start in the gums, even before any teeth have appeared. It is also important to develop a regular tooth brushing routine as soon as your child’s first tooth appears.

3. Small Appetite or Picky eating
Sweet drinks are full of energy (kilojoules) and can fill children up, making them less hungry for food. For picky eaters, stopping or limiting sweet drinks is a helpful way to encourage appetite for other foods.

4. Change in bowel habits
Young children may have problems digesting some of the sugars in sweet drinks, which can lead to loose bowel actions or diarrhoea. When sweet drinks are removed from the child’s diet, loose bowel actions may improve.

5. Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Researchers found that children and adolescents who consumed high amounts of fructose – most commonly from sweetened drinks – were more likely to have nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is a condition characterized by a buildup of fat in the liver that is not caused by alcohol consumption.

Take action today! Replace sugary drinks with water.  Water has no acid, no sugar, no kilojoules and if you can get it from the tap, it’s free!

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