Analyzing The Association Between Intake Of Different Types Of Beverages And Obesity Outcomes

Sugary beverages suggest a poor dietary quality; they are loaded with added sugars and attribute to the body’s energy density. “A 20-year study on 120,000 men and women found that people who increased their sugary drink consumption by one 12-ounce serving per day gained more weight over time—about 4 pounds per year” (19). Through increasing the daily intake in trivial increments, the body substantially results in an increased BMI (body mass index) and an increased body fat percentage score. Another study conducted at Harvard found that a 60 percent increase occurs in children for each 12-ounce they additionally drink daily. (________) The growing correlation between obesity and sugar has led to further studies, and statistical data. Researchers have revealed that in total, “half the people in the U.S. consume sugary drinks; 1 in 4 get at least 200 calories from such drinks; and 5% get at least 567 calories.” It was additionally found that one-fourth of Americans are consuming more than 135 grams of sugar per day from soda and other sweetened beverages, which compares to people of the past who only had 10 grams of fructose a day (_____). Such a high daily intake of sugar and calories illustrates the risk that arises when people consume too much sugar; that is, sugary drinks result in weight issues and medical consequences.

Excess consumption of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are risk factors for obesity.1

Soda consumption can lead to numerous, serious health issues. It can decrease calcium absorption in the intestines. Calcium is necessary not only for keeping our bones strong, but also to help our nerves send messages to our brain and muscles contract. Less calcium can lead low bone density and fractured bones. Soda consumption can lead to health issues such as obesity and diabetes. The more soda consumed the higher insulin level. High insulin levels can result in visceral fat gain, leading to America’s major problem; obesity. 24.1% of Californians are obese and 18.4% are obese in Cupertino. Although our body needs cholesterol to function like anything, too much can be harmful. High cholesterol can clog the coronary arteries, which surround and supply the heart. The outcome of high cholesterol is heart disease. Another health issue which can occur if consumption of soda is very high is diabetes. Diabetes occurs when the body can’t produce enough insulin or can’t use the insulin the body produces properly. The higher the consumption of SSB(Sugar sweetened beverages) the higher chance of getting diabetes. Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, says that "the people getting diabetes are people who consume very high levels of SSBs and have only slightly reduced in these very high levels of their soda consumption."

Observational studies were done on school children in kindergarten through third grade. The article explains that the children’s BMIs (body mass index) were measured at the beginning of the school year, end of the school year, and then again at the beginning of the following school year. It was seen that the BMI increase of the children increased twice as much during the three summer months than during the nine-month school frame. This infers that children gain more weight and are more incline to become overweight in their own home environment than their school environment. Sloviter makes a point that this increase in BMI at such a young age will lead to an increased risk for adult obesity. She concludes the article by briefly reminding the reader to remember that there are other factors that contribute to childhood obesity and the largest factor may not be the school lunch environment after all.

A single can of soda can have at least ten teaspoons of sugar, that is already the daily maximum recommended intake. Sugar can increase cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes and weight gain.Moreover. The obesity is a colossal problem in America. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 35.9% of U.S. adults over the age of twenty are obese (CDC, 2013). The CDC also notes that 69.2% of U.S. adults twenty years of age and over are overweight. The obesity problem does not only affect adults in the U.S. The CDC notes that 18.4% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 are currently obese (CDC, 2013). These numbers show the harshness of the obesity problem in this

Food consumption is one of our nation’s biggest problems especially among our children. In the 1950s we began those golden years on the rise and once the 1970s came around we became a country that Mcdonalized things. “Food manufacturers began producing larger portion sizes in the 1970s and continued to do so at an increasing rate through the 1980s and 1990s, leading children and adults to eat more and take in more calories during meals and snacks” (CDC, 2005a; Young & Nestle, 2002). As a result, our kids begin to consume a lot of these foods and drinks that lack nutritional value and that increases their chance in health problems. Through investigations, it has been found that children are the biggest market for carbonated drinks with boys drinking 20% more than girls (Green, Hargrove, and Riley 2). This issue starts our nation on a path that many of us do not want to go down, many of these children who over consume will face the threat of obesity at a greater chance in older age compared to peers with balanced diets. As we process this through our minds, it cannot be overlooked that we as a nation face many challenges. Finding solutions is something that should be a number one priority among parents.

Nickelson discusses how discouraging sugar-sweetened drinks consumption can make an impact on childhood obesity. This heavily effects preschool age children and the proportion of children consuming sugar-sweetened beverages increases over time. Soda being the most studied is associated with taste preference, habit intentions, television viewing, soda availability at home and school and parental willingness to purchases sodas for children. Other influencers such as child care could reflect on the child’s intake of the sugary drinks. This article also held a study where they figured out that preschool aged children intake more sugary beverages than between the ages of 1 and 2. It’s thought that school settings would be best to intervene to prevent

The 2009-2010 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, revealed that 9.7% of 0- to 2-year-olds reached≥ 95th percentile weight and 12.1% of children aged 2–5 years were in the obese category with a BMI ≥ 95th percentile. Current trends in infant feeding revealed higher than generally recommended energy, protein, and saturated fat intakes. (Saavedra) Early introduction of solids, use of cow’s milk prior to 1 year of age,

Evaluation: (How was the target population served?): The children were very receptive the information given. All goals were met as the children were eager to talk to their parents about properly nutrition not only for breakfast but in their future as well. A readiness to enhance their daily routine by incorporating healthy breakfast options was noted. Being that healthy foods are lacking into today’s generation, this population of children seemed as though they understood the topic how to read nutrition labels, measure out serving sizes and calculate the amount of sugars in various foods.

In 2004, during the midst of the HFCS health debate in the country, obesity researcher and now professor at Louisiana State University, George Bray along with his associates Nielsen and Popkin (2004) published an article about the potential link between HFCS and obesity. In his article, he importantly points out that "the increased use of HFCS in the United States mirrors the rapid increase in obesity" (Bray et al, 2004). A chart illustrated in the article shows the similar increase of HFCS consumption and obesity prevalence between the years 1970 and 2000 (Bray et al, 2004). After this article was posted a very large debate sparked in the scientific community as well as the public spectrum. The main argument that Dr. Bray makes is that fructose

Childhood obesity has been increasingly on the rise in the United States. There are many short-term and long-term consequences of obesity, such as increased risk of diabetes type 2, hypertension and hyperlipidemia leading to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancers, and osteoarthritis. There are many contributing factors leading to the increased prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents such as poor nutrition, the increased accessibility of fast-foods and junk foods in vending machines, decreased physical activity, increased use of technology and hours spent in front of the television, and the increased consumption of soda beverages. Although all of these are contributing factors leading to obesity in children and adolescents, it has become apparent that as the consumption of sugar-sweetened have increased, the average number of overweight and obese children have been negatively impacted nationwide. It has been found that soda beverage consumption is a leading cause of childhood obesity epidemic. It is important as clinicians to identify

George Blackburn reminds readers about the science behind the epidemic of obesity in his article, “Science Based Solutions to Obesity: What are the Roles of Academia, Government, Industry, and Healthcare.” Scientists are constantly researching reasons behind why some people are obese as well as possible scientific solutions that go beyond the everyday “go to the gym” solution. As obesity kills more and more people each year, medical institutions are making a point to study the biochemistry behind the issue.

There is a long list of organizations who support the reduction of SB intake as a means to decreasing the obesity rates of our nation. Much of this supports is based on recent research which shows the negative effects of over indulgence of SBs. In an article by Hu (2013), scientific associations who officially stated the need for a decrease in SB intake to decrease and prevent obesity and related diseases were identified. The scientific associations included were;

In a meta-analysis combined by a group of researchers, results found that soft drinks—a product with an immense amount of sugar—are associated with increased body weight (Vartanian, Schwartx & Brownell 2007). Certain behavioural issues have also been shown to have an impact on weight gain. A 2013 suggests these findings as study boys aged 10-17 and girls aged 10-17 who were diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, abbreviated as ADHD, have a higher chance of being overweight than children in the general population (Holtkamp K, Konrad K, Müller B, Heussen N, Herpertz S, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, et al. (2004). There are emotional factors like depression and certain behavioural aspects that may influence an onset of obesity in the

One fundamental cause of obesity is diet. Adolescence is perfect example of this. Students might have breakfast and lunch at schools. The vast majority of students’ lunches often consist of crisps, chocolate bars and soft drinks, which are high energy foods and due to unbalance energy. (Oliver, 2010). According to research, 25% teenagers are already obese. (ibid). To save money or reduce expenses, schools provide unhealthy foods or junk foods. When soft drinks which were coca cola came into the global economy, drinking soft drinks became popular in schools. The data gives a detailed situation. If a student only has one tin of coca he might has 8 tablespoons of sugar and the rest can be done in the same manner one, a month is 240 tablespoons sugar from drinks. (ibid). Frequent, red meat, large meals high in refined grains, sugary drinks, unhealthy fats are typical Western diet. (Harvard School of Public Health, 2014).