If you think it’s no big deal that your child has a soda at school, you might ponder this, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Each 12 ounce serving of a carbonated, sweetened soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories.  Would you give your child permission to eat 10 teaspoons of sugar in one sitting?

Soft-drink consumption has increased by 300 percent in the past 20 years. And serving

sizes have increased from 6.5 ounces in the 1950s to 20 ounces by the late 1990s, according to the AAP. Between 56 percent and 85 percent of school-age children consume at least one soft drink daily. Twenty percent of this group consumes four or more servings a day.

When consumed daily, each 12 ounce sugared soft drink has been associated with a 60 percent increase in the risk of obesity. The AAP also warns that soft drinks pose a risk

of dental cavities and enamel erosion due to acidity.

December 2008 Newsletter