A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association says 40 percent of the energy consumed by children today are coming from empty calories like those found in sugary sweetened drinks including fruit juice and soda. The study concluded by saying "Parents should limit the quantity of sweetened beverages consumed during preschool years because it may increase propensity to gain weight."
“These statistics are very concerning for the future health of children, especially in terms of their potential for developing heart disease early in life due to childhood obesity,” said Rae-Ellen Kavey, M.D., M.P.H., professor of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, and author of an editorial accompanying the article which was published today inJADA.“We all develop our food preferences in childhood. Children who drink a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages including fruit juice are at risk to develop obesity and will find it hard to break the habit of consuming these empty calories in the future.”
