Childhood obesity is one of the primary concerns regarding kid’s health today. With the passage of time, the condition has become more and more common especially in the past few years due to the prevalence of unhealthy diets in western countries.
Even though there is more awareness regarding diet and health now than in comparison with a decade ago, it is still difficult to determine which foods are healthy and appropriate for children for parents and guardians, which is also also a contributing factor in obesity levels.
Often, even the foods which are labeled and sold as ‘healthy’ are full of extra calories and little nutritional value. In addition, research from summer explored food labels of various commonly consumed products and found that the information presented is misleading most of the time.
The terminology used and the way in which the nutritional content is presented makes the reader think that the product is healthy and safe for use when in reality it can just be loaded with sugar and provide no useful benefits for the health of the consumer.
The issue is prevalent in many products but those which are targeted at children and toddlers happen to have it more than others.
Now, a new study conducted by researchers from VicHealth and Deakin University shows that another supposedly ‘healthy’ product for children may also not be appropriate and nutritious.
Milk for toddlers is a commonly consumed beverage around the world. Many of the milk infused drinks present in the market for children are assumed to be healthy by the majority of parents as they are also sold and marketed that way.
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However, the findings of the research suggest that not only do the milk-infused drinks provide no nutritional benefits but also contains a high amount of sugar and not enough levels of protein. Therefore, they only add extra calories to the daily intake of children who drink them regularly.
In addition, it was also discovered that most of the branded milky drinks for toddlers are harder to afford. More specifically, normal milk is four times more affordable than the branded ones.
At the moment, many parents around the world are struggling to buy and afford food for their families due to the effects of the ongoing coronavirus health crisis.
Branded toddler milk is certainly not needed for children to be healthy either now or in the future.
Parents should know that following standard health guidelines for children is enough to maintain their health.
No extra beverages are needed, especially not milk or juices as they only contain a lot of sugar and can contribute to health conditions including obesity, diabetes type 2, and heart disease in the future instead of boosting health.
Branded milk has become more popular due to social media influencers and celebrities endorsing as well as promoting them on their profiles and accounts but health experts strictly warn against using products because of their internet reviews and endorsements.
It is better to stick to what is scientifically proven and known by scientists to be effective in order to prevent any negative health consequences in the future.