Girls shun milk for sodas as they grow older

A study says that as adolescent girls grow older, they consume soda more than milk.

A new study has found that with the consumption of soda increasing, and milk intake decreasing in adolescent girls as they grow older, the risk of osteoporosis is becoming a major concern.

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As a part of the research, a team of researchers led by Dr Ruth Striegel-Moore, studied three-day food diaries provided by 2,371 girls during annual visits between the ages of nine or ten through age 19, over a ten-year period.

They found that while the consumption of milked decreased by over 25% during the course of the study, soda consumption, on the other hand nearly tripled on average. The study also found that there was an increase in the consumption of fruit drinks among black girls.

This trend is worrying to the researchers, for sodas, that are replacing beverages such as milk, which is an important source of the calcium needed for good bone health, lack nutritional value.

Dr. William Dietz, supporting the results of this research, said the lack of calcium provided by milk may see an increasing number of girls suffering from osteoporosis.

“Because milk provides an important source of calcium in the diets of children and adolescents, the decline in girls’ milk consumption at a time when bone mineral deposition may predispose to eventual osteoporosis is a major concern,” he said.

The research also found that girls who consumed the most soda tended to be heavier than girls with lower soda intake.

The authors suggest that public health efforts are needed to aid adolescents in choosing healthier beverages to help avoid calcium deficiencies and weight gain.

The study is published in the current month’s issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.