The Problem with Sugary Drinks Palo Alto Medical Foundation Health Education Department Jenna Levy, Health Educator Medical Reviewer: Leigha Winters, M.D. August 2016

The Downsides of Sugary Drinks Soda, sports drinks, chocolate milk, and juice add lots of calories without adding any nutritional value Makes it difficult to maintain a healthy body weight Leads to tooth decay and can end up replacing milk in children’s diets Causes a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Relationship to Obesity Sugary drinks (soda, energy, sports drinks) are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. If you drink 300 calories worth of sugary beverages, you will feel a lot less full than if you ate 300 calories worth of solid food. People who drink sugary beverages do not balance out their diet by eating fewer calories – which is why people gain weight.

Relationship to Obesity (2) Every day, half the people in the US consume sugary drinks Sugary drinks are the top calorie source in teenagers’ diets (226 calories per day) Studies show that overweight children and adults have better weight control when they decrease their sugary drink consumption

Sugar in Popular Children’s Drinks

Instead of Soda... Drink water! Try adding a slice of your favorite fruit for flavor If you do buy a sugary drink, make sure to read the label first, so you know what you’re drinking Kids age two to ten years should drink water or fat free whole milk instead of sugary drinks Line spacing

References PAMF Youth Nutrition Program http://www.pamf.org/ynp/5210/parents/#Skip%20sugar%20sweetened%20beverages,%20drink Harvard School of Public Health http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/sugary-drinks/