It was seen that children who consumed soft drinks were at a higher risk of becoming overweight. Soft drinks contain natural sugars and corn syrup, and not artificial sweeteners. The presence of sugar results in considerable increase in weight.

Studies show that soft drinks are clearly responsible for increasing obesity amongst children by more than 50% in the last decade. One of the biggest threats to childhood deaths is obesity. The factors that have led to an increase in childhood obesity are genetics, an increase in television viewing, a lack of physical activity and consumption of fast foods. Excessive consumption of aerated drinks is also a vital factor, which causes obesity amongst children.

Why are Soft Drinks the Culprit?

Most soft drinks are sweetened by natural sugars or corn syrup, instead of artificial sugars. Either, drinks with high sugar content cause an insulin rise, which makes children hungrier or they cause a lack of restraint on foods. On an average, a child consuming around eight ounces or more of these drinks consumes more than 835 calories. This shows that soft drinks are high in sugar content and children who consume these drinks eat more food, than the ones who do not. Studies also show that children who consume more soft drinks are overweight and have greater chances of developing diabetes later on in life.

Combating the Menace

An alliance was formed to combat this situation, which agreed to impose specific guidelines on schools vending soft drinks in order to reduce the total calorie consumption in children. All full-calorie soft drinks were removed from the school premises and new packs were developed for better portion control. Schools are unique environments that need to have better control over the children. The results achieved by setting limits for intake of soft drinks showed surprising results.

• Calories delivered to schools in the form of soft drinks reduced by a whopping 88%.
• The number of soft drinks with full-calorie content delivered at schools decreased by 95%.
• Almost 99% of the schools complied with the guidelines.

Obesity Treatment

Making life style alterations such as consuming a balanced diet and increasing physical activity is a good way to lose weight and overcome obesity.

• Diet: Children suffering from obesity should consume a low calorie diet. Ideally, a child’s stomach should be filled half with food, 1/4th with water and the rest should remain empty. They should consume more sprouted cereals, green vegetables, fruits and raw salads. Intake of soft drinks and sweet foods should be cut down. Excessive consumption of oily and fried food items should also be avoided.
• Exercise: Physical exercise should be increased and included in their daily routine. A brisk walk is vital for children suffering from obesity. They can also lose weight by light running, swimming and jogging. Less use of automobiles enhances bodily exercise. The body becomes more flexible too. Children should spend more time playing games that involve physical activity, rather than sitting in front of the T.V. all the time.

Xenical Prescription Medication for Treating Obesity

There are various medications available on the market for obesity treatment, but only a few of them have undergone clinical trials before they were declared safe for use. There is little evidence that over-the-counter (OTC) slimming pills deliver the desired results. But a prescription medicine like Xenical comes with proven effectiveness and is used widely for the treatment of obesity.