Every day one in four Utah teens consume at least one soft drink, adding to the ever-growing obesity epidemic facing our state and nation.
Sugar-sweetened beverages are readily available in Utah schools, with almost 99 percent of schools reporting they offer soda or fruit drinks at school, according to the 2008 Utah Health Status Update.
Many teens don’t understand how many calories and the amount of sugar they are getting from their harmful soda habit. The average 12-ounce cola contains more than 130 calories and almost eight teaspoons of sugar. Seven cans per week adds up to 910 additional calories and more than one cup of sugar per week.
Researchers from John Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, have concluded that educating teens about the number of calories sugar-sweetened beverages provide helps them make better and more informed decisions.
The study published in the December 2011 edition of the American Journal of Public Health monitored the beverage sales of four convenience stores in low-income, predominantly black neighborhoods, and how visible and clear caloric information about beverage choices changed beverage purchases.
Signs were randomly posted at each convenience store with one of the following three messages: "Did you know that a bottle of soda or fruit juice has about 250 calories?" (absolute caloric count); "Did you know that a bottle of soda or fruit juice has about 10 percent of your daily calories?" (percentage of total recommended daily intake); "Did you know that working off a bottle of soda or fruit juice takes about 50 minutes of running?" (physical activity equivalent).
During the study period, data was analyzed for 1,600 beverage purchases among adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years. Of the 1,600 beverage purchases, 400 were collected to use as a baseline, the other 1,200 were collected while the intervention messages were in place.
Combined, the messages resulted in an average reduction of 40 percent in sugar-sweetened beverage purchases. The physical activity equivalent message was the most effective, reducing sugar-sweetened beverage purchases by 50 percent.
Water purchases increased while the intervention was in place.
In general, people largely underestimate the number of calories common foods and beverages contain. The study findings demonstrate that if teens are empowered with knowledge regarding the nutritional value of food and beverage options, they are more likely to make healthy choices.
Read more information about how soda damages your health here.
Comments