HHS HealthBeat (July 26, 2011)

Teens, sodas and weight

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

This may be hard for teens to swallow, but sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and the like can give them something they don’t want – excess weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at teens’ beverage choices. And the CDC’s Caitlin Merlo says teens should avoid sugary drinks.

``Drinking too many sugar-sweetened beverages can result in several different health problems, including cavities, as well as excess weight gain leading to obesity and type 2 diabetes.’’ (11 seconds)

Merlo says CDC’s study found that water, milk and 100 percent fruit juices were actually more popular choices by teens. But the study notes that teens also drank a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages.

The study was in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: July 25, 2011