Take a hard look at calories in our kids’ cups

Sugary drinks add too much sugar to kids’ diets, a lot of calories with little nutritional value.

A few years ago, everything was different — even the way we enjoyed drinks. Back then, kids quenched their thirst with water, 100 percent juice, and milk. Soda came in 8-ounce containers and was a special treat. Sports drinks belonged to sweat-soaked players on the sidelines. But things are different today. Sugary drinks are one of the largest sources of added sugar in kids’ diets. That’s a lot of calories with little nutritional value.

All those sweet drinks contribute to major health problems for our children, like increasing rates of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. And with Connecticut already spending $856 million per year treating these preventable diseases, we need to address the problem. It’s going to take hard work to reverse these numbers, but it’s clear that our kids need us to make changes now.

Unfortunately, kids end up with sugary drinks because they are easily available and sometimes even cheaper than the alternative.

A few weeks ago, my nephew and I went to see a movie, and the concession stand was selling a bottle of water for $4, while its fountain soda and sugary juice drink counterpart was offered for a much more affordable $1.50. With options like that, it’s no wonder parents and kids end up choosing the unhealthy option — even when their health could be at stake. That’s no bargain!

There’s more we can do to make healthy drink options accessible in places where kids and families spend their time. Efforts that reduce consumption of sugary drinks can be part of the solution.

Public health experts around the country agree that taxing drinks with added sugar has the potential to help. In fact, the University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity estimates that a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks would raise $140 million annually in revenue. Through my advocacy with the American Heart Association, I know that we are leading the charge to highlight that this revenue could not only support valuable public health needs, but could also save the state’s Care 4 Kids program, which provides affordable child care for low to moderate income families, thereby allowing them to continue working.

Where such a tax has been implemented, data is beginning to show that sugary drink consumption is reduced, while the consumption of water has increased. Additionally, providing healthy drinks in places that kids play, like zoos, parks, child care, and after-school programs will help.

It’s time we take a hard look at the extra sugar and empty calories in our kids’ cups and do all we can to help them form healthy habits to last a lifetime. A little change for the health of our children could indeed make a big difference!