Sugar-Sweetened Sodas, Fruit Drinks Not Tied To Drop In Milk Consumption Among Kids

Although children in the U.S. are drinking less milk these days, a new study finds the drop in consumption is not related to the steep increase in drinking low-nutrition sugary drinks. Milk drinking dropped between 5th and 8th grade, according to researchers who studied the long-term dietary habits of 7,445 students who were kindergartners in a 1998 -1999. Among the same group, consumption of sugary sodas and flavored fruit drinks doubled. But the researchers noted that changes in children's milk and 100-percent-juice consumption were not significantly related to changes in their consumption of sweetened beverages over time. The conclusion? Sweetened beverages did not replace other caloric beverages in children's diets.