The New York State Department of Health reports that the average child consumes more than 500 cans of soda annually. Recent studies show a significant shift in children’s drinking habits – while children once drank twice as much milk as soda, today’s children drink twice as much soda as milk. This trend worries medical professionals like Dr. Andrew Swiderski, a pediatrician at Open Door Care Network.
“It’s pretty significant when you consider that the calories from those sweetened drinks can mean an increase of an additional pound and a half a month or 15 pounds a year of body weight,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of obesity, more prediabetes and an increase in hypertension. BMI (Body/Mass Index) is headed in the wrong direction. Sweetened beverages are one of the biggest culprits.”
Children, he said, gained weight during the pandemic and, while the increase in weight has leveled off, the floodgates have opened with increased use of sugar-laden soft drinks adding to the problem.
According to CDC studies conducted before the pandemic, obesity was already a significant health concern in America. It affected 19.3 percent of children between ages 2 and 19. This represents a dramatic increase from 1976-1980, when only 7 percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 5 percent of adolescents had obesity. The rates were even higher among children of color, with approximately one in four Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children having obesity.
During the pandemic, childhood obesity rates rose significantly. CDC research found that obesity increased to 22 percent among children and teens aged 2 to 19. A joint study by the University of Michigan and Kaiser Permanente revealed that children with obesity experienced an increase in annual weight gain from 8.8 pounds to 14.6 pounds. Even children at healthy weights saw their yearly weight gain increase from 3.4 to 5.4 pounds.
Childhood obesity has serious health implications beyond appearance. Children with obesity face higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol, dental problems, and musculoskeletal issues. Additionally, children with obesity are much more likely to become adults with chronic health conditions.
Creating healthier habits is a family effort, according to Dr. Swiderski, which is why he discusses sweet drinks and nutrition with both children and their parents, emphasizing a positive approach. He celebrates improvements finding that encouragement is far more effective in supporting healthy behavior changes.
Dr. Swiderski has discovered that families appreciate having concrete information to guide their decisions. “When test results show elevated cholesterol or A1C levels, families often respond with increased motivation: ‘We need to take action.’ These objective measurements help illustrate the importance of nutritional changes.”
Dr. Swiderski strongly encourages parents to get their children used to drinking water from an early age – whether from the tap or bottle (as long as it contains fluoride). This is far preferable to soft drinks or fruit juice. Healthy alternatives to sweetened drinks include milk, vegetable juice, and fruit juice without added sugar. He refers patients to Open Door’s nutritionists when he feels it’s necessary to drill deeper in identifying problems and solutions.
“We’re noticing the significant impact that sweetened beverages have on children’s health,” he said. “This presents an important opportunity for improvement. Making positive changes in a child’s nutrition at age eight can set them up for a healthier lifestyle and greatly increase their chances of long-term wellbeing.”
