Researchers have discovered a worrying trend: children around the world are drinking more and more sugary drinks

On average, children around the world would drink almost a quarter more sugary drinks in 2018 than three decades ago. And this rise coincides with an increase in obesity among young people.

Unhealthy food is easily and widely available these days. And this also applies to sugary drinks, such as soft drinks, energy drinks and lemonade. In a new global study, researchers have examined the drinking habits of young people from 185 countries. And it shows that children today are consuming much more unhealthy drinks than they used to.

Do an investigation
An unhealthy diet, especially drinking sugary drinks, plays an important role in the development of obesity. So it is very important to measure how many of these drinks children and teenagers drink. Unfortunately, recent data on inclusion among young people is not yet available in many countries. To address this, researchers used data from the Global Dietary Databasewhich includes over 1,200 national and sub-national dietary surveys from 185 countries. Of this data, 450 studies from 118 countries contained information on the consumption of sugary drinks. Sugary drinks were defined as any drink with added sugar and at least 50 kcal per 237 gram serving. This included both commercial and homemade beverages, such as soda, energy drinks, fruit drinks and lemonade.

Almost a quarter
The findings show that children consumed on average almost a quarter (23 per cent) more sugary drinks in 2018 than in 1990. In general, boys and girls drink about the same amount of sweetened beverages. However, consumption appears to be higher among teenagers, people living in cities and children of parents with lower education. In addition, young people seem to consume almost twice as much sugary drinks as adults.

Regional differences
Young people around the world drink an average of 3.6 servings of sugary drinks per week. But the researchers also found surprising regional differences. For example, in South Asia consumption is only 1.3 portions per week, while in Latin America and the Caribbean it can be as high as 9.1 portions per week. In addition, the research shows that children and adolescents in 56 countries – together making up 238 million young people, or 10 percent of the world’s youth – drink seven or more portions per week on average.

Specific countries
In 2018, the countries where young people consumed the most drinks in the world was Mexico (10.1 servings per week), followed by Uganda (6.9), Pakistan (6.4), Africa South (6.2) and the United States (6.2). The largest increase between 1990 and 2018 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, the average weekly number increased by 106 percent to 2.17 portions per week, a worrying trend that, according to the researchers, requires additional attention. These findings show the need for targeted and effective policy measures to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, especially in areas where high intakes are already a concern.

The results are very disturbing. “Sugar drinks contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of obesity,” warns first author Laura Lara-Castor. “Although children often do not develop diabetes or cardiovascular disease at a young age , these drinks can cause serious health problems as they age. This study emphasizes the importance of targeted education and policy measures to change behavior early and prevent the harmful effects of sugary drinks at young age.”

sugar tax
How come? In recent years, many governments around the world have taken measures, such as taxes on sugary drinks (the famous sugar tax). It is also being investigated whether sales in schools can be reduced. However, such measures are still in their infancy in many countries and are also hampered by aggressive advertising by large companies and the globalization of the food industry. However, the researchers say that the current study highlights the urgent need for policy measures and information campaigns aimed specifically at reducing the consumption of sugary drinks among young people and encouraging healthier choices.

The researchers hope that the findings, published in The BMJwake up nations. “Our findings should set off alarm bells in almost every country,” said researcher Dariush Mozaffarian. “The intake and trends we are seeing are a major threat to public health, an issue we can and must address to ensure a healthier population in the future.”