"Staggeringly, almost one-quarter of teens today have pre-diabetes – double the rate of just 10 years ago."
While our last post was about energy drinks, it's fitting to talk about the bigger elephant in the room - sodas in general. As reported by Alternet, "Staggeringly, almost one-quarter of teens today have pre-diabetes – double the rate of just 10 years ago. One in three youth born in the U.S. after the year 2000 will get type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes (1 in 2 young people of color) along with some or all of its major health consequences including stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputations.
A major cause of this epidemic is the consumption of sugary drinks. Just one 12-ounce soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar — more than the recommended daily maximum for adults and more than 3 times the recommended maximum for kids. Studies show that drinking just one sugary drink a day can lead to increased risk of diabetes, tooth decay and other health problems.
Sugary drinks are already the number one source of added calories in teens’ diets, yet the beverage industry is still targeting youth of color as their future growth market." And this marketing machine is massive - with some of the cleverest marketing minds, backed by enormous advertising budgets.
The good news is a group called Opentruth is hoping to make an impact with campaigns encouraging kids - the key targets - to fight back. The group is in California, but hopefully they'll make some traction and influence kids in the rest of the country as well.
And there are actions you can take as well:
Model the way - reduce, or better yet, eliminate sodas from your home. If you do consume them, make them a rare indulgence, not an everyday event
Practice Tough Love - your kids may put up a fight - OK, let's be realistic - your kids WILL put up a fight, but don't hesitate to educate them. Share honestly the effect these products can have on their health. It won't be easy, but over time your kids will hear you and it will make a difference.
For more information about Opentruth.now, click here for an Alternet article or visit opentruthnow.org
A major cause of this epidemic is the consumption of sugary drinks. Just one 12-ounce soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar — more than the recommended daily maximum for adults and more than 3 times the recommended maximum for kids. Studies show that drinking just one sugary drink a day can lead to increased risk of diabetes, tooth decay and other health problems.
Sugary drinks are already the number one source of added calories in teens’ diets, yet the beverage industry is still targeting youth of color as their future growth market." And this marketing machine is massive - with some of the cleverest marketing minds, backed by enormous advertising budgets.
The good news is a group called Opentruth is hoping to make an impact with campaigns encouraging kids - the key targets - to fight back. The group is in California, but hopefully they'll make some traction and influence kids in the rest of the country as well.
And there are actions you can take as well:
Model the way - reduce, or better yet, eliminate sodas from your home. If you do consume them, make them a rare indulgence, not an everyday event
Practice Tough Love - your kids may put up a fight - OK, let's be realistic - your kids WILL put up a fight, but don't hesitate to educate them. Share honestly the effect these products can have on their health. It won't be easy, but over time your kids will hear you and it will make a difference.
For more information about Opentruth.now, click here for an Alternet article or visit opentruthnow.org
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