To be blunt, drinking soda is one of the worst\nthings you can do for your health. Consuming soda on a regular basis is\nstrongly linked to obesity, poor heart health, and reduced lifespan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eliminating soda from your diet is one of the\neasiest and most effective ways to become healthier and improve your lifestyle.\nAnd for your kids, cutting out soda can be a big step in protecting their\nhealth, helping them stay at a healthy weight, and reducing their likelihood of\ncertain health problems in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One big reason soda is so harmful is that it is\nloaded with sugar. The average soda contains a whopping 7-10 teaspoons of\nsugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The average American adult consumes about 17 teaspoons<\/a> of added sugar\nper day. (Added sugar refers to sugar that doesn\u2019t occur naturally in foods.)\nMost of the added sugar people consume comes from sugary drinks, like soda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dietary guidelines recommend that the amount of\nadded sugar you consume should not exceed 10% of your total caloric intake.\nThis translates to about 200 calories (percent daily values are based on a\n2,000-calorie diet), or 12 teaspoons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And for your kids, it\u2019s even less. The American\nHeart Association recommends that children aged 2-18 years consume only six teaspoons of added sugar<\/a> per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you drink a soda, you\u2019ve pretty much\nconsumed all of your sugar for the day. And for a child, one soda is over<\/em> their daily limit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n More and more people are beginning to take\nnotice of the health problems associated with frequent soda consumption. In\nfact, many cities and states are calling for a soda\ntax<\/a>, which is an additional tax placed on sodas\nand, in some places, other sugar-sweetened beverages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Avoiding soda, however, should go beyond\navoiding an additional tax. Your family\u2019s health may depend upon limiting their\nconsumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why is Consuming too Much Sugar Bad for You?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many reasons you should limit your\nchild\u2019s consumption of sugar, particularly sugar found in processed food and\nsugary beverages. (And this applies to your own sugar consumption, too, so pay\nattention!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a handful of reasons you should really\nwatch your child\u2019s sugar intake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) Sugar leads to weight gain, and particularly the accumulation of \u201cvisceral fat.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Consuming sugar causes you to gain weight around\nthe abdomen \u2014 \u201cvisceral fat.\u201d This kind of fat, also known as belly fat, is\nespecially dangerous because it is so close to your vital organs. Having a high\npercentage of visceral fat has been linked to conditions like diabetes and\nheart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That doesn\u2019t sound like something I want to sign\nmy child up for!<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the main factors contributing to the\nrising obesity rates in the Western world is that sugar has become a much\nlarger part of our diet. Reducing your child\u2019s soda consumption can help them\nstay at a healthy weight and lower their risk of obesity and its related health\nconditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your child is struggling with excess weight\ngain, quitting soda can go a long way in their health journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) Sugar weakens your resistance to leptin, or\nthe \u201chunger hormone.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Leptin is an important hormone that regulates\nyour hunger levels. Fructose<\/a>, a type of sugar found in sugary drinks, interferes with the signals\nleptin sends to your body to stop eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This makes it harder to stay slim and not\novereat. For your child, this means they will probably feel hungrier and\ncontinue eating past their normal \u201cfull\u201d point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can lead to unnecessary snacking and\novereating. And when these overeating habits continue in the long term, your\nchild may face excess weight gain and even obesity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) Sugary foods fail to provide you with the\nnutrients you need.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sugary foods are empty calories\u2014they fill you up\nwithout providing nutritional value. This makes it harder for you to obtain\nnutrients without overeating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you ever tried to get your kid to finish\ntheir healthy, nutritious dinner after they already drank a soda? It\u2019s near\nimpossible!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Avoiding soda can help your child fill up on\nnutritious foods instead of empty, sugary calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4) Too much sugar can increase your risk of\ncancer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Having high levels of insulin is linked to being\nat risk for cancer. Also, cancer cells feed on glucose, a kind of sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is just plain scary. Protect your child\u2019s\nhealth now by helping them quit soda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n