Safefood is currently running a campaign aimed at reducing childhood obesity.
Reducing and omitting sweet drinks from your child’s diet, which are linked with excess weight in children, will also reduce their chance of tooth decay.
Sugary drinks include fizzy drinks, squashes, cordials and juice drinks. These drinks form a large part of the diet of modern children, especially juices. We as adults perceive them to be a “healthy option”!
Instead we should try to substitute juices and other sweet drinks for water and milk. Condition children to think of sweet drinks as an occasional treat e.g. at party’s & celebrtations.
Read labels on drink containers, bearing in mind that 5gms of sugar is the equivalent of 1 sugar cube. For example it may surprise you to learn that 200mls of Innocent Orange juice, contains the equivalent of 3 sugar cubes. 200mls of Club Orange has 5 sugar cubes in it!
Tooth decay is very much visible in the teeth of children in the current generation. Excessive consumption of juices, fizzy drinks etc is a major factor. Reduced intake and regular effective tooth brushing will help keep there teeth healthier, with few cavities and also help maintain a healthy weight.
Please check out: http://www.safefood.eu/Childhood-Obesity/6-Healthy-Habits/Sugary-Drinks.aspx for more information and some great wall charts!
