Is Soda Worse Than Candy For Your Kids?

A surprising health win for pandemic babies

Author

The Weekly Parent
March 05, 2024

TOP OF MIND

Just how bad is soda?
Soda, pop, soft drink, coke, that fizzy stuff... it doesn't matter how you address it, the negative impacts on your health remain the same. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking just two 12-ounce cans of soda a week effectively erased all heart health gains made during exercise.

The research team looked at health data from around 100,000 adults over 30 years to find that damage done by sugar-sweetened beverages can't be overcome with the average recommended workout quota, which has been set at 150 minutes every week.

The marketing strategies for these drinks often show active people drinking these beverages. It suggests that sugary drink consumption has no negative effects on health if you’re physically active.

Don't be fooled.

The important bits
Let's look into soda even more, specifically its impact on our children. Multiple studies have linked soft drinks to childhood obesity, but there's also limited research out there suggesting kids who drink soda regularly are more likely to drink alcohol when they're older.

The peer-review study analyzed data from more than 2,000 children aged 9 and 10.

The study indicates that drinking soda on a regular basis could put children at a higher risk of alcohol consumption. Researchers also concluded that those who drink caffeinated soda daily were more impulsive and had worse memories.

Yikes. It's not looking good for soda, and we haven't even talked about the impacts sugary, carbonated drinks have on our teeth. We all know sugar can lead to cavities, but research shows soft drinks are actually worse than candy for our children because the acid found in soda can weaken tooth enamel, making tooth decay more likely.

We also know excessive soda consumption can lead to stomach issues, messing with the acid-alkaline balance of your kid's stomach, which can cause inflammation of the gut.

What's it all mean?
Soda is bad. 🙁

So, how do we get our kids to drink more water? You can try boosting it with some flavor by adding in fruits like lemons, limes or berries. You can install a reward system, give them their own special drinking cup, use frozen fruit in place of ice cubes, and lots more. Get more tips here and here.

DID YOU HEAR

🙌 A win for pandemic babies
We've heard a lot of negatives about "pandemic babies" in the past year or two, with multiple articles claiming they were missing out on essential social development, leading to mental health issues. But finally, we may have a positive to report! Scientists studied the gut health of over 300 pandemic babies vs 300 pre-pandemic babies. They found that by age one, just 5% of pandemic babies had developed a food allergy, compared to 22.8% in the pre-pandemic group. Doctors believe this may have something to do with antibiotic usage. 

🤧 Speaking of food allergies
The FDA just approved a new drug called Xolair, which aims to help reduce severe allergic reactions brought on by accidental exposure to certain foods. It's the first medication approved by the FDA that can protect against multiple food allergies. We should note that it is not intended for use during an allergic reaction. Its goal is to reduce the severity of the reactions. Read more here.

👵 What do grandparents think of new parenting trends?
It's been said that millennials with kids today are parenting in a more "conscious" way then their own parents did. Some older people out there roll their eyes at that term, and instead label the parenting approach as "soft." But not all grandparents believe we're raising little demons. HuffPost asked grandparents what they like and don't like about our parenting styles, and some of the responses might surprise you.

👨‍👨‍👧 $75,000 to start a family
Companies in South Korea are really worried about the low birth rates, so some firms have started offering their employees up to $75,000 to have babies. One company revealed they will give workers $22,400 for baby number one, $22,400 for baby number two and $30,000 for baby number three. Meanwhile, companies in the US continue to give their employees starting a family a big middle finger.

🕺 Single and ready to mingle?
Dating as a single parent can be a little overwhelming, but thankfully, there are apps to help! Seriously. There are dating apps exclusively for single parents. Check out the top 8 here.

A DOSE OF GOOD

A laundry folding hack designed for kids (and some husbands, let's be honest):

BITES WITH KIYAH

A recent advice column suggested that using different sized eggs could have unintended consequences for your baked goods. Egg sizes are determined by the total weight of one dozen, but the size of any individual egg within the dozen can vary. We measured 6 from a dozen and found that Large eggs varied from 61-67 grams, Extra Large from 63-68 grams, and Jumbo from 69-76 grams. To see what happened when making the same recipe with these different sized eggs, we made three different versions of our family’s favorite Pumpkin Muffin recipe.

Click here to enlarge recipe.

Bottom line: although the recipe originally called for large, our taste-testers actually preferred the recipe made with Jumbo eggs. The batter was lighter, and the resulting muffins less dense.

Kiyah is the co-founder of Kizingo Kids and an expert in nutrition. Follow her on Instagram.

THE BEST OK TO WAKE CLOCKS

It's five in the morning on a Saturday and your kid walks in your room wanting to go to the aquarium. You gently explain to them that the little fishies are asleep right now, and then they ask you, "How do fish sleep?" and you think, "Wait, how do fish sleep? Do fish even sleep?" and before you know it, you're wide awake at five in the morning on a Saturday.

Don't let that happen. Get an OK to wake clock, which uses visual cues instead of numbers to let your kid know it's time to wake up. Experts recommend using these clocks between the ages of two and three.

Some of the best sleep training clocks are the Hatch Rest+, which is currently $89 on Amazon, and the REMI, which will set you back $74 on Amazon.

The best cheaper alternative is the $20 Echo Glow.

For more info on how to introduce these clocks, click here.

PARENTING WIN/FAIL

This week, loyal reader Emily P. shares an interesting conversation with her daughter...

Yesterday my daughter started flapping my upper arm back and forth and then asked me why my arm was 'so much bigger' than hers. I told her people come in all different sizes. Then she said, completely innocently, 'But it’s even bigger than daddy’s!' I told her sometimes women are bigger than men. She said 'oh' and then proceeded to tell me my arm reminded her of a 'big juicy steak.' I'm not sure if this counts as a 'fail' per se, but she definitely knows how to roast me without even realizing it! 🤣

Yikes! A big juicy steak? You better hide the A.1. Sauce from her! Thank you for sharing, Emily!

If you have a parenting win/fail you'd like to share, email us at [email protected] and your story will be featured in a future edition!

HERE’S A QUESTION

Stanley cups... your thoughts on 'em?

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Last week, we asked if you believe the measles vaccine is safe for children, and a whopping 83% of you said yes, while "undecided, but they're still vaccinated" managed to grab the rest of the vote.

RECALLS

Remember a few months ago when Trader Joe's had a string of food recalls for like four weeks in a row? Thankfully, they've slowed down since, but it appears they could be ramping up again.

The grocery chain just recalled more than 60,000 pounds of its steamed chicken soup dumplings due to some packages containing plastic from a permanent marker. Yes, you're reading that correctly.

Products with the "best by" date of March 7, 2025, and lot codes C1-1 or C1-2 may be impacted. If you happen to have these dumplings, throw them out or return them to your local TJ's for a full refund.

Basically, dump those dumplings!