Despite these guidelines, 60% of one-year
olds drink an average of 11.5 ounces per
day, and 39% of children under the age of
one are drinking juice daily, according to a
2002 USDA report.
The excessive consumption of juice by
children is relatively recent. 50 years ago,
milk and water were the primary beverages
for children. According to Dr. David Ludwig,
an expert on pediatric obesity at Children’s
Hospital in Boston, “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.”
Children consume about 25% of the juice
marketed in this country, so, as you might
imagine, the juice industry is very
concerned. Carol Freysinger, executive
director of the Juice Producers Association,
says that when doctors criticize juice, it
gives a bad name to a healthy beverage and
could prevent people from getting the great
nutrients offered by juice. |
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Some doctors are starting to acknowledge
that giving kids juice teaches them to
prefer sweet foods and beverages, and that
high calorie beverages do not have a place
in a healthy child’s diet. Dr. William
Dietz, with the division of nutrition and
physical activity at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention says that thirst is
satisfied with water, hunger is satisfied
with solid food, and that caloric beverages
interfere with this and blur the line.
Although this advice is bad for the juice
industry, it’s great advice for kids!
We hope these simple steps toward a healthier
lifestyle assist you in winning the fight against
childhood obesity. If you have any questions
you may email us at
info@youngslimkids.org.
We are here to help you in the fight to save
our children.
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