If you are offering beverages like fruit juice or soft drinks to quench your child's thirst you could be increasing your child's risk of overweight or obesity. Beverages that contain calories can take the blame for weight problems in many of the youngsters.

20% of the children who are overweight are so because they consume too many calories. Unlike candies and savories that people know are fattening when eaten in quantity, families are relatively unaware that beverages are caloric as well.

Health experts are concerned that children who mindlessly consume artificial fruit juice and soft drinks are put at various health risks. In the overweight management programs families come in and don't know why their children are gaining weight because they don't eat that much. The parents and their kids do not have any idea how much juice the children are consuming. Although fruit juice has nutrients that are not found in soft drinks, it can still contribute to excess weight gain if children drink too much.

An 8-oz glass of juice is 120 calories. If a person drinks one extra glass a day he can put on 10 lbs a year! Doctors recommend that kids have to run a mile a day to burn off the juice, not even to lose weight! It is a matter of concern that parents are giving juice to infants! There is no need to give infants juice before six months. If infants and young children are given sweetened drinks to satisfy their thirst, it can create a habit.

Offering infants juice before solid foods could risk their having juice replace breast milk or infant formula in the diet. This can lead to infants, reduced intake of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals.

For children who are overweight, eliminating caloric soft drinks and cutting back on fruit juice can have a beneficial effect. Eliminating sweet beverages had additional value in preventing spikes in the glycaemic index that make children hungry.

To satisfy thirst both health and diet experts recommend giving children water. Water is thirst quenching and an ideal substitute if one wants to avoid making one's children overweight. Flavored, non caloric water is available and it is perfect!

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