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Parents raise due concern on unhealthy bitter sweet facts of health drinks
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Wednesday, 23 August, 2023, 15 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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In recent years, India has witnessed a surge in the popularity of so-called health drinks that claim to provide a range of health benefits enhancing the growth of children and are marketed as nutritious drinks especially for children.
The health drinks are often positioned as a quick and easy way to get all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that the body needs. With attractive packaging and scientific claims of growth and brain development and immunity booster, these health drinks have been a favorite among parents. But the question is how healthy are these health-worthy drinks for children?
These products though advertised as vitamin and energy rich drinks are very high in added sugar content. They may also contain excessive amounts of malt which is categorized as added sugar. Presence of vitamin and other added nutrients does not neutralise/negate the harm caused by such excessive sugar content, which according to experts should be strictly avoided for growing children as it can lead to devastating health consequences.
Kavita Devgan, noted nutritionist and author, said, some so-called health drinks for children actually fall under the dangerous HFSS (High Fat Salt Sugar) category and can lead to obesity, diabetes, and other related problems from an early age. Parents often introduce these sugary drinks to children as early as two years, thinking that they will supplement the missing nutrition from their children’s diet, But these sugar-laden drinks can add. a lot of extra sugar to their diet and may increase the risk of lifestyle diseases among children. So read the labels carefully before introducing any new packaged food in your child's diet.
Often parents are misled by these brand of health drinks with their advertisements on the packaged products. Parents often fail to read the nutrition labels as they are complex and time consuming. One such parent, Nilanjana Bose, mother of a teenager complains at consumer helpline portal said, there is no information on the unhealthiness of product on the packet. I was giving my child a popular health drink thinking it would help him in his growth only to be stopped timely by pediatrician saying that this is an extremely harmful for a growing child and could lead to complications because of its high sugar content.
Similarly, another parent, Vikas Soni, father of two teenagers finds it difficult to choose the right health drink for his children as most of them are high in sugar. The attractive packaging on one hand talks of growth and brain development but it does not highlight the true nature of the product high sugar content. This is misleading for consumers who do not have the time or understanding to read the nutrition labels.
India has more than 100 million people living with diabetes compared to 70 million people in 2019 according to an ICMR study published in Lancet recently. The study also revealed that 136 million people are prediabetic. The report also warns that ‘there are serious implications for the nation, warranting urgent state-specific policies and interventions to arrest the rapidly rising epidemic of metabolic NCDs in India.
As per Unicef's World Obesity Atlas for 2022, India is likely to be home to 27 million obese kids by 2030. It currently ranks 99 out of 183 countries in terms of handling the economic impact of obesity. Possible explanations for increasing trends of obesity among children is consumption of HFSS foods and lack of physical exercise.
Dr Pradeep Aggarwal, additonal professor, AIIMS Rishikesh, said, “Health drinks usually have a very high content of sugar in them. Excessive consumption of these unhealthy sugar laden foods and beverages is one of the key causes of childhood obesity and increases a child’s risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes as an adult. It should become mandatory for products to warn consumers about high sugar content, Not only will it help consumer choice but also encourage companies to reformulate according to globally agreed thresholds.”
Ashim Sanyal, CEO of Consumer Voice, a consumer rights organisation working in the field of cardiovascular health for several years, said, “Everybody wants the best for their children and these food manufacturers use smart tactics to hide true nature of the product because of lack of regulations. Several scientific studies in India and abroad have shown that having a clear and interpretive Front of Pack Warning Labels (FOPL) on unhealthy packaged foods will help consumers identify unhealthy foods, especially given to children. Consumers have a right to make informed choices on the foods they eat. By having a simple Warning Label on packaged foods will help consumers identify foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt.”
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