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Sugary Drinks - What Parents Know

Posted by  admin  Mar 17, 2015

A new study from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, published in Public Health Nutrition reveals that many parents are misled by labels on fruit drinks, sport drinks, and flavored water.

This results of this study are summarized in this article by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Although most parents know that soda is not good for children, many still believe that other sugary drinks are healthy options. The labeling and marketing for these products imply that they are nutritious, and these misperceptions may explain why so many parents buy them,” said Jennifer Harris, PhD, a study author and Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center.

Specific results show:

  • 96% parents gave their child sugary drinks
  • These parent were more likely to think of these drinks as healthy
  • This was reinforced by the labels on the drinks which use terms such as 'real' or 'natural'

An expert advisory panel convened by Healthy Eating Research in 2013 advised in its Recommendations for Healthier Beverages that children ages 13 and under drink only water, low-fat and nonfat milk, and 100% juice, and that adolescents ages 14-18 drink only water, low-fat and nonfat milk, 100% juice, and other non-caffeinated, non-fortified beverages with no more than 40 calories per container.