The Overconsumption of Sugar

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2022-2025 suggest limiting added sugar intake to less than 10% of total daily calories for those two years and older. Following a 2,000- calorie diet means that no more than 200 calories (about 50 grams) should come from added sugars.

Eating or drinking too much added-sugars can put you at higher risk of weight gain, cavities, and an overall poor diet. The habit of drinking sugar-sweetened beverages at a young age can carry over to adulthood. It is extremely important to create healthy eating habits at a young age to encourage healthier eating habits later on in life.

Currently, 41% of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight or have obesity, putting them at high risk of health concerns. Children and adolescents with obesity are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease in early adulthood and face immediate health risks such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and impaired glucose intolerance.

Children & Media Marketing

Screen time usage has increased with children from 2019 to 2021 by 17% (NY Times, 2022). An average child spends approximately 3 hours a day watching TV. Accounting for all types of screen time (including watching TV, working on a computer, or playing video games), it can add up to 5-to-7 hours a day. This makes it increasingly easier to market to children and entice them with sugar-sweetened beverages using tactics such as brand recognition and influencers. One study showed that child-targeted fruit drinks/juices that include promotions and displays are associated with increased sales of those drinks compared to other drinks. While accompanying parents when grocery shopping, children may also be influenced by colorful packaging that may include fun and/or familiar characters, fun fonts, or unique or easy-to-handle bottles or containers, which may also increase a desire for these beverages. Usually, children-marketed beverages are placed on a shelf right at a child’s eye level.

Alongside increased screen time, so has the rise in the popularity of social media influencers. Mukbang videos have grown in popularity recently, with social media influencers eating large servings of typically unhealthy food and drinks. The popularity of influencers doing these videos may influence children’s eating habits and contribute to poor health.

Media marketing has done an excellent job at marketing and has become focused on children to influence what parents purchase. It’s said that it’s up to parents to raise healthy kids, but this has become more challenging as children’s screen time and exposure to media marketing has increased. With that being said, children generally mimic their parent’s habits, so choosing healthy options for yourself can influence their eating habits and choices. 

Ways to influence consumption of healthy beverages for children:

• Avoid using sugar-sweetened beverages or food as a reward.
• Ensure kids are fed and hydrated before accompanying you on grocery trips.
• Get the kids involved and excited with making your fun drinks at home:
• At the grocery store, let children select the fruits they want
  • Use water or fortified, unsweetened plant milk as your base to increase nutrition density. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice. Add chopped fruits (or frozen fruits).
  • Smoothies are fun, too, and can make a tremendous nutrient-dense treat. Use fortified, unsweetened plant milk as a base, a couple of frozen ripe bananas, and frozen berries of choice, and add to the blender.