Pop Talk
by Peggy Kleiber
February 16, 2010
POP TALK by Mrs. Kleiber
Obesity in America is increasing in both adults and children. We all would like to blame someone else for our own nutrition choices, but the fact is we have the control of what we put into our mouths. We develop many of our food habits in our childhood from our families. We are exposed to good and bad habits and adopt many of our own food habits as we become adults.
Parents are the first individuals to influence our eating habits. It is the responsibility of parents to be educated about the nutritional needs of their children. The first choice a parent makes is whether to breast feed or bottle feed their infant. Mothers often make this decision based on their own comfort level, not nutrition.
Selecting a formula is another big nutrition decision made by parents. What brand do I pick for my child? Do I select formula with or without iron? What does the pediatrician recommend? At what age should I introduce my child to solids? Parents must learn about nutrition in order to make wise nutritional choices for their children.
My biggest question is when do parents make the educated decision to introduce pop into the diets of their children? In looking at the ingredients in an average pop, the first ingredient is carbonated water. Ok, our bodies do need water, but carbonated water? The second ingredient is high fructose corn syrup--this converts to an average of 13 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 ounce can of pop. HFCS is a sweetener, a preservative, and is often blamed for obesity. The third ingredient is called caramel coloring, and is added so it looks attractive to drink. Phosphoric acid is fourth and is added to keep the pop from going flat and increases the acidity of the pop. Some researchers have shown phosphoric acid to be as damaging to tooth enamel as battery acid. Fifth is natural and artificial flavors, but they are not listed for the consumer. The sixth ingredient is sodium benzoate, a preservative. Caffeine is the seventh ingredient and is a stimulant drug not needed by children.
Pop, also known as soda, has no nutrient value for our children, so there is no reason to introduce these drinks to children at any age. A better choice for babies and children would be to put milk and/or water in their sippy cups and bottles. Milk contains the nutrients calcium and vitamin D. Water is a basic nutrient needed by the body and children need to learn the habit of drinking water at a young age. Water is a very good nutritional and economical choice. It saves families a great deal of money and can help prevent obesity. So parents keep the pop out of bottles and sippy cups.
