Parents' habits may be at the root of kids' consumption

Over the past 20 years, a turf war has been waged in refrigerators across America , with milk and orange juice ceding space to the new beverage of choice: soda.

The typical American teenage boy now drinks 22 ounces of soda a day. The average intake of soft drinks by children of all ages jumped about 40 percent in just a six-year period, from 1989 to 1995.

But along with the soda consumption have come spikes in overweight and obesity rates. Research also indicates that too much soda can cause a rise in blood pressure, as well, especially in black teens.

So what's a parent to do?

Take a hard look at your own consumption habits, experts say.

Research at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found that children whose parents regularly drank soft drinks were almost three times more likely to drink soda at least five times a week than were youths whose parents didn't drink sodas.

The researchers analyzed the soda-drinking habits of 560 youths, aged 8 to 13. About 30 percent of the kids in the study consumed soft drinks every day, while 18 percent reported drinking them less than once a week. About 85 percent of the kids surveyed said they typically drank regular soft drinks, not diet, boosting their calorie and sugar intake for the day. The findings were first published last year in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association .

For those serious about quashing the soft drink habit, experts offer several strategies. Mary Story, a professor of public health nutrition at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and leader of the soda study, said parents must take swift, drastic action to end the soft-drink habit.

That means telling the family that sodas are no longer stock items and will be reserved for special occasions. Instead of soda, Story suggested, keep healthier alternatives handy. "Fill a pitcher with water and keep it in the refrigerator," she told HealthDay . "Or keep 100 percent juice in the house." On hot days, lemonade is okay. Non-caloric flavored water or sparkling waters are other good options.

For a more dramatic strategy, parents could try the show-and-tell method, said Jeannie Moloo, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "One 12-ounce can of soda has the equivalent of 9.5 teaspoons of sugar, or one-quarter of a cup," Moloo told HealthDay . "Put this amount in a baggie, measure it out, and show it to your kids. It's quite effective."

Take your battle against the soda bottle outside your house as well, she said. "I went and talked to the administrators of my son and daughter's elementary school," she added. She also joined a parent committee that succeeded in getting soda dispensers out of the school.