Health Experts Urge Parents To Choose Water Over Fruit Drinks
Health experts are urging parents to avoid fruit drinks, which are comprised of sugar in a bid to reduce rates of tooth decay, obesity and diabetes.
“Clever marketing strategies” are luring parents into thinking that they are giving their children healthy drinks, when many of the products marketed as healthy actually contain more sugar than unhealthy snacks and treats, such as biscuits.
Experts claim that parents are being miss-sold products, which are supposed to be a healthier alternative to fizzy drinks. The Robinson’s Fruit Shoot, for example, is supposed to be better for children than fizzy drink. However, analysis of the ingredients shows that it contains almost as much sugar as Coke.
Sustain, a health and nutrition campaign group, claims that so-called healthy drinks are actually a “mini health time bomb”. They say that they are contributing to a host of health problems, from dental decay and diabetes to obesity and heart disease.
Nutritional experts, health professionals and dentists are eager for parents to learn about the impact of sugary foods and drinks on their children’s health. They are also urging parents to choose water over fruit juices and smoothies, which are branded to appear “fun and fashionable.”
Professor Annie Anderson from Dundee University asked, “What is wrong with water?” and added that it is important that parents are encouraged to give their children water, rather than fizzy drinks or sugar-laden fruit drinks.
Sustain is currently leading a campaign, along with 67 other health organisations, to bring in a tax on soft drinks. They are hoping this would generate additional income for healthy school meals and children’s health education.
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