To Lower Childhood Obesity, Don’t Sugarcoat the Facts about Sweet Drinks

Supported by the Irving Institute.

April 30, 2019

A new study at Columbia University suggests that giving mothers plain facts about the health risks of consuming sugary drinks during pregnancy

Jennifer Woo Baidal, MD, MPH (CUIMC)

Jennifer Woo Baidal, MD, MPH (CUIMC)

and early childhood may offer a new strategy to reduce childhood obesity.

The study was published in the journal Academic Pediatrics.

Why It’s Important

Obesity affects approximately 18% of children in the United States. Recent studies show that obesity is growing fastest among young children between the ages of 2 and 5 years. 

“Emerging evidence suggests that regular consumption of sugary beverages, either by the mother during pregnancy or by the child before age 2, may increase a child’s risk of obesity later in childhood,” says the study’s lead author, Jennifer Woo Baidal, MD, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. 

A recent study found that sugary drinks may be marketed more heavily toward low-income children and teens.

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Tags

General Medicine, Medical School, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Campus News, Pediatrics, Public Health, Research