Take a Hard Line Against Soft... Health Article

Children often switch from drinking milk to drinking soda when they become preteens or teens.

Those kids tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables, and get less calcium, protein and vitamins A and D, because they are drinking less milk. They also take in more calories. Because one in seven U.S. youths weighs too much, that alarms health professionals.

Soft drinks can't take all the blame for the weight crisis. But kids can reduce their calorie intake by drinking less soda or drinking only diet soda.

"The issue of calories in liquids is an important one in combating obesity in children," says Cathy Nonas, R.D., author of Outwit Your Weight, who works with obese and diabetic patients in New York City. Although your child's diet won't be ruined if he drinks soda in modest amounts, it can be hard to stick to that goal. Children often gulp down a 20-ounce bottle, equal to 2-1/2 servings.

"I think it's very hard to drink something like a soft drink in moderation," says Ms. Nonas. Instead, she suggests parents stop serving soda. "It's easier to cut out the whole thing for children than modify something that's so pervasive, and in large portions."

Other concerns:

• Soft drinks don't satisfy the appetite, so preteens and teens tend to eat a normal amount of food in addition to the calories they take in through soda.

• Many soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, which may lead to a loss of calcium. (This is a double whammy, because preteens and teens who drink soda aren't getting the calcium they need from milk.)

• Non-diet soft drinks contain high-fructose corn syrup. This sweetener may be associated with an increase in metabolic syndrome -- a precursor to diabetes -- in teens.

Nutritious substitutes are close at hand. Start with milk, says Theresa Nicklas, Dr.P.H., professor at the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.