Policy Roundtable: Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Gutierrez and Regional Director Rosa Soto gave more than 40 child advocates attending a First 5 LA Public Policy Roundtable on Tuesday a sneak peak of an upcoming policy brief that the two agencies are collaborating on. The brief's release will coincide with First 5 LA's Rethink Your Drink summer campaign.

Gutierrez noted that reaching and teaching the First 5 LA target audience, which is generally low-income families with young children, is a challenge. She encouraged everyone to focus on early childhood education programs by talking to providers about the sugar-sweetened beverage bill passed last year, the economic benefits of water and milk versus juice and making nutritious choices.

Similar discussions can be had with city leaders and others in the community, like youth sports coaches, she said. "Having a conversation, as advocates, is the most important thing we can do," Gutierrez said. "The bottom line is, if they do only one thing, [they should] replace sugary beverages with water."

Representatives from agencies that included the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the American Heart Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the LA Best Babies Network were also given opportunity to provide feedback on draft excerpts of public policy recommendations that will be included in the brief (see "Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Policy Recommendations").

But before the discussion, Soto presented the case against sugar-sweetened beverages for young children - using statistics that sometimes caused audible reactions from the participants:

• Today, 10.4 percent of the nation's youngest children are considered obese.

• The number of overweight children in the U.S. increased four times from 1963 to 2000.

• A 12 ounce can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar; a 20 ounce bottle has 17 teaspoons.

• It would take four hours of avid bicycling to burn off the calories consumed in one can of soda.

• Forty-four percent of toddlers consumer sugary drinks every day.

• Seventy percent of children 2-5 drink a sugary drink daily.

• The average child 4 years old and younger consumes more than 12 teaspoons of added sugar each day (the American Heart Association recommends no more than three teaspoons).

Because obesity can cause serious health problems, including high cholesterol, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, as well as sleep apnea, asthma, joint problems, faulty livers and gallstones, First 5 LA is making public outreach on the dangers of sugary beverages a priority.

In July, First 5 LA is co-sponsoring family events in the cities of El Monte and South El Monte, and will distribute water bottles and the free, bilingual book, "Potter the Otter: A Tale About Water," to children. Watch the Monday Morning Report for more information about the Rethink Your Drink campaign and, coming soon, the Rethink Your Drink web page at www.ReadySetGrowLA.org/RethinkYourDrink.

‹‹ Back to this week's Monday Morning Report.