Choosing sugary drinks over fruit juice for toddlers has been linked to a higher risk of adult obesity.

The Swansea University study shows that toddlers given sugary drinks face higher adult obesity risk. Researchers found that early fizzy drink consumption was linked to weight gain by age 24.

Even though many do nothing to stop it, most people are aware that consuming sugar-sweetened drinks can lead to obesity during the first few years of childhood. Researchers at Swansea University in Wales have found that parents who give their toddlers such beverages put them at a higher risk of becoming obese adults.

The study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition under the title “Early exposure to sugar-sweetened beverages or fruit juice differentially influences adult adiposity,” tracked the influence of diet on 14,000 British children from birth to adulthood and is believed to be the longest of its kind

They found that kids who drank cola or sugary fruit cordials before the age of two gained more weight at the age of 24. The weight of boys remained the same, while girls who had pure fruit juice gained less weight.
At three years of age, toddlers who drank cola consumed more calories, fat, protein, and sugar, but less fiber than their peers who did not drink cola. Those who drank pure apple juice had less fat and sugar, but more dietary fiber. A dietary pattern will be formed by those who consume one food choosing other foods.
The standard American or Western diet emphasizes the consumption of refined and processed foods that are packed with calories and sugar. Importantly, people who follow this diet are more likely to choose beverages and foods sweetened with sugar. They wrote that this diet is often a marker for a highly calorific diet.

At a young age, dietary patterns formed at a young age.

The study also revealed corresponding differences in food choices. The diets of children who drank pure apple juice included more fish, fruit, green vegetables, and salad, whereas those who drank cola consumed more burgers, sausages, pizza, french fries, meat, chocolate, candies, and other sweet treats.

A connection between affluent kids and fresh fruit juice is linked to sugary drinks.

The head researcher is psychologist Prof. David Benton, who for the past 25 years has been using diet to influence brain chemistry to promote health, mood, and cognitive functioning. It’s important to instill in children a healthy eating routine, one with less fat and sugar. While it is important to encourage children to eat fresh fruit and vegetables to increase fiber and promote the habit of chewing, occasionally giving fruit juice adds vitamin C, potassium, folate, and plant polyphenols.

Dr. Hayley Young added that obesity is a serious health concern, one that increases the risk of many other conditions. Our research shows that the dietary factors that contribute to adult obesity begin in childhood, and if we want to curb it, we need to pay closer attention to our diet during the first years of life.

Source jpost