Water is one of the healthiest things to drink – and it’s free!
What’s the alternative?
Soft drinks are often high calorie, and regular consumption of soft drinks is linked to childhood obesity and tooth erosion and decay. It can also lead to children developing a taste for sweet products.
Despite claiming otherwise, our recent report, ‘Soft drinks, hard sell’, shows that soft drinks manufacturers still market their products to children. Some have reacted to health concerns by developing flavoured waters as an alternative, but it’s far from clear that these are a better choice. Some of these products contain controversial additives such as Acesulfame K and sodium benzoate (E211), and many still contain sugar, often at similar levels to the fizzy drinks they seek to replace.
Find out more about how the soft drinks industry plays on health concerns about hydration to market its products to children [link to Soft drinks, hard sell section below]
What should children be drinking?
Official advice from the NHS states: “Water is the healthiest choice for quenching your thirst at any time. It has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth. Soft drinks can cause tooth decay and most contain very few nutrients. They can also be filling. This could reduce your child’s appetite for foods that contain the nutrients they need. The best drinks to give children are water, milk and milkshakes without added sugar. If your child drinks fruit juice it’s better to limit it to mealtimes.”
Independent nutrition charity the Caroline Walker Trust adds: “Diet drinks or sugar-free drinks can also damage teeth as they may be acidic and erode the dental enamel. Fruit drinks are often mistaken for fresh fruit juices but are usually predominantly water and sugar with small amounts of fruit juice and added vitamin C and sometimes other vitamins. These drinks are as harmful to teeth as other sweetened drinks”.
Drinking for the planet
It’s clear that water is a much healthier option than soft drinks, but bottled water is expensive and damages the environment. While a number of government departments and local authorities have switched from bottled water to tap, provision of mains-fed drinking water in public places such as parks remains woefully inadequate.
That’s where our campaign comes in…
Children's Food Campaign: Campaigning for policy changes so that all children can easily eat sustainable and healthy food.
