In addition to consuming too many sugars that fuel the continuing problems our world faces with childhood obesity, a Journal of Pediatrics study underscores another important reason parents why must limit the amount of soft drinks their kids drink every day.

Based on parental reports encompassing about 200 children, 75 percent of them consumed caffeine every day, and the amounts were startling. Every day, kids in the 5-7 age range ate roughly 52 mg of caffeine, while those from ages 8-12 consumed more than twice as much (109 mg).

Looking at this from another health angle, the amount of caffeine older kids consumed was comparable to drinking almost three 12-ounce cans of the average soft drink daily. What's more, kids who consumed higher amounts of caffeine got less sleep, possibly raising their risks of diabetes in the process.

Just one more reason parents should take a more active hand in tackling obesity before it becomes a problem.

Journal of Pediatrics December 17, 2010 Free Full Text Study

ScienceDaily December 17, 2010