What do foods like potato chips and soft drinks have in common besides being located next to each other in grocery stores and vending machines?
Together they could be one of the causes of obesity, especially childhood obesity.
According to msnbc.com, a British study is being conducted to look at the effects salty foods and soft drinks have on obesity.
The study evaluates how eating salty foods leads individuals to drink increasing numbers of soft drinks to relieve the resulting thirst, which in turn, causes the person to consume more calories, many of which have no nutritional value.
Mikah Brake: a junior in English, eats potato chips in Foy. A recent study showed salty foods have been linked to obesity in children. JD Schien / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
When an individual ingests a higher salt amount than their body needs, their brain responds by triggering thirst mechanisms, said Doug White, department head of nutrition and food sciences.
White said the person then increases their fluid intake, eventually leading them to excrete both the extra salt and fluid.
“If a kid tends to drink soft drinks, and they do eat salty foods, I can see how that would be a connection because salt will make you thirsty,”
White said. “If you are drinking soft drinks as a liquid, you are taking those extra calories in.”
Robert Keith, a professor in nutrition and food sciences, said calories from soft drinks are empty calories, which are calories that are not a source of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein and essential amino acids.
“Sometimes it’s not even colas,” Keith said. “It’s other sweet drinks too, even drinks that you would think of as nutritious like juices, but they all contain lots of calories that children can get that contribute to obesity. In fact, some of the pediatric groups recommend that children only get a limited amount of juice a day.”
Other drinks with empty calories are alcoholic beverages.
“A normal beer can be 150 calories, and light beer is around 100 calories per bottle or can,” Keith said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there are college students who easily get half of the daily calories they need by drinking them. Of course, they probably put on some pounds over the long run.”
According to weightlossresource.co.uk, women should try to consume about 1,940 calories each day. Men should try to consume about 2,550.
“As a dietitian, if somebody comes to me trying to lose weight, I take a hard look at drinks first,” Keith said.
How much influence the government should have in regulating an individual’s diet is being debated.
“It’s not the government’s responsibility,” White said. “It’s the individual’s responsibility. The company’s just selling a product that is part of a diet. It may not be in itself the healthiest thing.”
There have not been many laws enacted yet, Keith said. However, food companies are being encouraged to self-police themselves.
“(The government does) have some stronger rules about not advertising on television in the mornings, on Saturday morning,” Keith said. “I think that is probably needed.”
One marketing technique companies use is placing drink machines next to snack machines in order to sell more drinks.
“There is the idea that you might eat those salty chips or those salty peanuts, and that’ll make you thirsty or even the thought of it will,” Kieth said. “So at the same time you are getting those foods, you go and get you a cola of some kind.”
Sharon Ogburn, the food service manager at Auburn High School, said the school does not have vending machines available for its students.
“I think, more than salty foods, it is the availability of the drinks and the marketing of the drinks,” Keith said.
Keith said he thinks a big reason why kids consume the drinks is because they become addicted to the sweet taste of sugary soft drinks.
“Humans love sweetness, we are drawn to that,” he said. “Some parents try to do a good job, some don’t, some don’t pay attention to it.”
