Young children beginning to favor energy drinks
Jul 25, 2012, 12:58 PM | Updated: 12:58 pm
Energy drinks have been popular with adults for years, but now kids as young as four are starting to drink them.
Christine Hicks, a Phoenix-base registered dietician, said the drinks have become status symbols that make the kids feel like adults.
“Usually, there’s a student that will bring up and ask me about energy drinks,” she said. “Then I usually say, ‘How many of you drink energy drinks,’ and I name some of the brands and at least half the classroom has had it.”
Hicks said many parents give energy drinks to their kids not realizing they can contain up to 20 teaspoons of sugar, 240 milligrams of caffeine and 300 calories.
“Most of them have warning labels on there,” she said. “Not to be consumed by children, elderly, those sensitive to caffeine or pregnant women.”
The increased caffeine can cause dehydration and concentration problems for some kids. Hicks suggests milk, juice or water instead of energy drinks.