Now, most people are aware of the fact – even though many do nothing to stop it – that consuming sugar-sweetened drinks can lead to obesity during the first few years of childhood. But now, researchers at Swansea University in Wales have found that parents who give their toddlers such beverages put them at a significantly higher risk of becoming obese adults.
The standard American or Western pattern diet is characterized by a high intake of refined and processed foods that is high in both fat and sugar. Importantly, those who eat this diet are more likely to choose beverages and foods sweetened with sugar. Thus, this diet is very often a marker for the choice of a highly calorific diet, they wrote.
Dietary patterns formed at a young age
The study also highlighted corresponding differences in food choices. Children who consumed pure apple juice often followed a diet with more fish, fruit, green vegetables, and salad, while those drinking cola ate more burgers, sausages, pizza, french fries, meat, chocolate, candies, and other sweets.
The lead researcher, psychologist Prof. David Benton who for the last 25 years has used diet to influence brain chemistry to promote health, mood, and cognitive functioning, said: “The early diet establishes a food pattern that influences throughout life whether weight increases.
