The more soda kids drink, the more likely they are to be obese, researchers conclude.

However, they caution, soft drinks are not the only cause of the ongoing Childhood obesity crisis, which is also fueled by a lack of physical activity, and too much TV, among other problems.

After reviewing articles, press releases, editorials, and material from the soft drink industry, Dr. Robert Murray and his colleagues conclude that most children are drinking too much soda; these nutrient-poor, high-calorie drinks may be taking the place of milk and other nutritious options, depriving kids of much-needed vitamins and minerals.

Identifying Obesity in Children
The same BMI standards used for adults along with anthropometry (measurement of fat by skin fold thickness) may be used to identify overweight adolescents, although there are other considerations in this population. Ethnic variations, timing of growth spurts, and higher normal fat levels around puberty can cause disparities in these measurements.

In the Journal of Pediatrics, Murray and his team note that obesity is the “biggest threat to child health” in America today. Approximately one-fourth of obese children have warning signs for Type 2 diabetes, a condition that can shave off up to 26 years of life, and have a significant effect on quality of life.

In one 2003 study, researchers found that, among children ages 7 to 13, those who drank the most soda drank less milk, and got less protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and Vitamin A from their diets.

After that study appeared, representatives from the soft drink industry argued that soda cannot be blamed for childhood obesity, which is likely also due to more fast food meals, larger portion sizes, and declines in physical activity.

To examine what role soft drinks play in Childhood obesity, Murray - based at Ohio State University and Columbus Children’s Hospital - and his colleagues reviewed published literature on the relationship between soda and obesity among children.

They found that, on average, teenagers drink two cans of soda every day, the equivalent of 20 teaspoons of sugar. Soda is also the biggest source of added sugars, which make up approximately 20 percent of total daily calories in children. However, experts recommend that people get no more than 10 percent of their daily calories from added sugars.

Additional research also suggests that too much soda can increase children’s risk of obesity, and decrease their intake of important vitamins and minerals. In one study, researchers found that for every additional can of soda children drink per day, their risk of obesity increases by 60 percent.

The authors of the review say that obesity is clearly a “multi-factorial problem,” and singling out one facet can be criticized. “Yet that does not mean that factors should be ignored; the cumulative effect of many small changes across a child’s environment can be synergistic,” Murray and colleagues write.

“It is only by making such changes, one at a time if necessary and more if possible, that we are likely to contain a problem of the magnitude of obesity,” they conclude.

SOURCE: The Journal of Pediatrics, May 2005.