ONE THING THAT YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED ABOUT ALL THE VENDING MACHINES WE’VE MENTIONED…. IS THAT THEY FEATURE FOOD AND DRINKS THAT AREN’T EXACTLY HEALTHY – BURGERS, PIZZA, CUPCAKES, AND ESPECIALLY ‘POP’, ARE ALL THINGS WE REALLY SHOULDN’T BE EATING VERY OFTEN.
UP NEXT, WE HEAR ABOUT A NEW STUDY THAT SHEDS LIGHT ON JUST HOW MUCH SUGAR KIDS ARE CONSUMING!
U.S. DIETARY GUIDELINES SAY SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES SHOULD BE LIMITED OR REMOVED FROM YOUR DIET. BUT A RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES CONSUME AT LEAST ONE SUGARY BEVERAGE ON ANY GIVEN DAY ABOUT 30% CONSUME TWO OR MORE EVERY DAY... DESPITE HEALTH EXPERTS' RECOMMENDATION THAT LESS THAN 10-PERCENT OF DAILY CALORIES COME FROM ADDED SUGARS THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE C-D-C'S NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS. RESEARCHERS ANALYZED DATA FROM THE NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY ... ABOUT THE CONSUMPTION OF SUGARY DRINKS -- LIKE SODA, SOME FRUIT DRINKS, SPORTS AND ENERGY DRINKS AND SWEETENED COFFEES AND TEAS. THEY FOUND THAT MORE THAN 64-PERCENT OF BOYS UNDER 19 AND MORE THAN 61-PERCENT OF GIRLS IN THE SAME AGE GROUP DRANK AT LEAST ONE SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGE EVERY DAY. THE LEAD AUTHOR OF THE STUDY SAYS THAT CHILDREN WHO DRANK TWO OR MORE SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES A DAY WERE GETTING MORE THAN 10-PERCENT OF THEIR TOTAL DAILY CALORIES FROM THOSE DRINKS. THE AMERICAN BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT IT HAS LAUNCHED VARIOUS INITIATIVES TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY CALORIE INTAKE AMONG AMERICANS.
AS YOU HEARD, U.S DIETARY GUIDELINES SUGGEST SUGARY BEVERAGES LIKE SODA AND FRUIT JUICE SHOULD BE CUT OUT OF YOUR DIET ALMOST ENTIRELY!
NOW, WE WANT TO KNOW: HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK DO YOU CONSUME SODA OR FRUIT JUICE? YOU CAN ANSWER NEVER, 1-2 TIMES A WEEK, 3-5 TIMES A WEEK, OR OVER 5 TIMES A WEEK…I’M AFRAID THAT LAST CATEGORY IS WHERE I FIT IN! TO WEIGH IN, JUST HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE AND CLICK THE “POLL” BUTTON!
AFTER YOU VOTED, WRITE IN AND TELL US: IF YOU COULD TURN THE TIDE AND MAKE A HEALTHY VENDING MACHINE, WHAT WOULD BE IN IT?
Instructional Links
Website Article: Sugar Stacks, Beverages | Graphic demo of how much sugar in beverages & foods.
Website Article: Choose My Plate, What are Added Sugars | For more info, search “sugar.”
MyWebsite: My Plate, Kids’ Place | Companion site to Choose My Plate has games, worksheets & activities about nutrition.