Table of Contents - July/August • 2003

Presidents Message
Central Office Report
Section Chair Caucus
Bay Cliff Health Camp
Awards
Past PFA President Martin Naimark 2003 Calendar
PFA Annual Meeting Schedule
 Desk of the Executive Director
FDA Dental Amalgam Review Foundation Section News
PFA Dental Museum
 Section News- International
The Legacy Continues…
 Section News- United States
PFA Adds Another Book
 Beverage of Choice for Teens
Minority Dentists Honored
Dental World
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Page
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8





July/August • 2003
Page 7

Soft Drinks Beverage of Choice for Teens
by the North American Academy of General Dentistry

In prior generations, soft drinks, soda pop, colas—whatever you called them—were reserved for a treat. In today’s society, this is not the case for teenagers. They cannot escape the onslaught of a $60 billion-a-year marketing campaign, soft drink machines everywhere, and consumption messages that entice an implied value in their consumption. Many schools across the United States and Canada have placed soft drink machines near their cafeterias as a drink alternative to wholesome dairy products. True, many contain fruit juices fortified with vitamins … and sugar.

Schools have succumbed to this for the added revenue and due to teen demand. The machines outside the locked lunchrooms assure access by the students before and after school classes. This has made these sugar and acid containing beverages the drink of choice. Remember when the water fountain was the only choice?

Soft drinks by teens have increased 1100% over the past 20 years. Dairy purchases by teens have decreased by 30% over the same time.

While the largest risk of consuming too many soft drinks is still tooth decay, we are now learning that osteoporosis, obesity, and diabetes also head the list of concerns to a teenager’s fast-paced lifestyle. Fifteen percent of American adolescents, ages 6 to 19, are overweight. Being overweight puts teens at an increased risk of hypertension and elevated cholesterol leading to heart disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis and tooth erosion. This is an important link between one’s oral condition and one’s overall health.

Check this out yourself. Read the ingredients on the soft drink cans. Coke contains “high fructose, corn syrup, sucrose, phosphoric acid, and caffeine.” Dr. Pepper has the same contents. Pepsi’s Mist also has “citric acid, potassium citrate, ascorbic acid, and calcium disodium EDTA.” Coke’s Sprite has “high fructose, corn syrup and/or sucrose, citric acid and sodium citrate.” 7 Up’s Hawaiian Punch contains “less than 2% juice” but “high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, ascorbic acid and sugar.”

Several parent organizations have begun to realize that such availability of these products means less control they have over a child’s nutritional diet. Their ready availability at institutions of learning gives an implied approval, even competition to the school’s own cafeteria’s planned food offerings by their dieticians. These parent groups are demanding the removal of such machines from their area schools with some success.

As health professionals, we have an excellent opportunity to get involved. Talk to the local PTAs about your concerns. The American Academy of General Dentistry will work with you on preparing an oral health story. Contact their Public Relations Manager Susan Urbanczyk at 312/440-4308 or online at Susanu@AGD.org for more information.

This is a simple project that can be handled by a single dentist for the good of a great many in their formative years. That is what our profession is about.



Table of Contents - July/August • 2003

Presidents Message
Central Office Report
Section Chair Caucus
Bay Cliff Health Camp
Awards
Past PFA President Martin Naimark 2003 Calendar
PFA Annual Meeting Schedule
 Desk of the Executive Director
FDA Dental Amalgam Review Foundation Section News
PFA Dental Museum
 Section News- International
The Legacy Continues…
 Section News- United States
PFA Adds Another Book
 Beverage of Choice for Teens
Minority Dentists Honored
Dental World
 —
Page
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8




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