Sugar and other sugary drinks are unhealthy for you and your kids. Sugar doesn't add any nutrition, but it does cause health problems like cavities, diabetes and too much weight for your child's health. Prevent these problems and keep your kids healthy: give water instead.
Where Does Sugar Hide?
Sugar hides in many drinks, including juice, soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, and even chocolate milk.
How Can You Keep Your Kids Healthy?
Most extra calories kids get are from sugary drinks. Skip drinks with sugar in them, and give your kids water instead. This will help keep your kids at a healthy weight.
- Drink tap water—it is safe, high-quality, free and helps protect teeth. White milk at mealtimes is OK.
- Have your kids carry a refillable cup or water bottle to make it easy to choose water.
- Flavor water naturally with fruit (lemons, strawberries, cucumbers).
- Try not to buy sugary drinks or keep them at home.
- If you decide to offer your child a sugary drink, choose a small size.
Should Parents in Denver Really Worry about Their Kids Becoming Too Heavy?
Yes. Even though Denver is known for being healthy, one in six kids are too heavy for their health before they are 18-years-old. Preventing kids from becoming too heavy when they are young helps them stay at a healthy weight as they get older.
- In 2013, one of every four 12 to 13-year-olds in Denver said they had one or more sodas a day. The national recommendation is to drink less than one soda a day.
- More Black and Hispanic school-aged kids are at higher risk for being too heavy in Denver.
- Kids who live in lower income neighborhoods are also at higher risk for being too heavy.
- Kids who are too heavy for their health before they are 5 years old are more likely to stay too heavy as teens and adults.
Rethink Your Drink Toolkit
Interested in spreading the Rethink Your Drink message in your community? Check out our toolkit of resources. Contact DenverPublicHealth@dhha.org with questions, or to request editable creative files to add your own logo.
Additional Resources
- Cavities Get Around
- ChooseHealthyDrinks.org
- 2014 Health of Denver Report
- 2013 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey