Researchers found those beverages such as soft drinks, sweet tea and flavored milk add about 179 more calories to meals.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are increasingly linked to health problems such as diabetes,” said senior study author Brian Elbel of the New York University School of Medicine.
“Any information we can find about why this high-risk group of kids is purchasing these drinks is important,” he said. “We haven’t had a great sense of who these kids are, especially at fast food restaurants.”
The research team analyzed nearly 500 receipts and surveys collected in fast-food restaurants in New York City and in nearby Newark and Jersey City, New Jersy during 2013 and 2014. They found that 60 percent of the drinks bought for children were sugar-sweetened, and combination meals were more likely to include a sugary drink.
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Children's Food Campaign: Campaigning for policy changes so that all children can easily eat sustainable and healthy food.
