GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Childhood obesity is a serious concern in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nearly 20-percent of children were considered obese between 2017 and 2020.
Now, dieticians and pediatricians are warning about the effects of drinking too much fruit juice as a child.
A new study published in Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics found 100% fruit juice is associated with weight gain in children.
"It contributes to empty calories," said Lori VanderWeele, registered dietician, certified specialist in pediatrics at Corewell Health. "Drinking eight ounces of liquid is pretty easy to do. And within that eight ounces of liquid, you can consume 120 calories pretty quickly without feeling satisfied or full."
The issue with juice, VanderWeele said, is it is both void of fiber and often high in additional sugar.
"We want to get our nutrition from food, ultimately, whole foods are important," said VanderWeele. "So fruits, vegetables, our calories and our nutrients has a vast variety within all those other food groups."
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies under the age of 12 months not to have any juice. Toddlers between ages one and three should get no more more than four ounces of juice. For children four to six years old, limiting to four to six ounces. Then, for children and teenagers between seven and 18 years old, juice should be limited to eight ounces.
According the the CDC, nearly half of one to five year olds are not eating a vegetable every day. Nearly one third of kids are not eating a daily fruit.
Reducing juice and preventing weight gain in children will reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other diseases in their future.
If you want to reduce your child's juice intake one option is to gradually water down the juice over time.
However, VenderWeele suggests bringing your child into the conversation about making different food choices.
"Why are we wanting the fruit versus the juice?" said VanderWeele. "Why are we wanting the apple? Why is there a plate of veggies on the table when they come home from school? Having those conversations about some of those foods and educating your child about those."
She also suggests encouraging drinking water in between meals.
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