Los Angeles County children drinking fewer sugar-sweetened sodas

Los Angeles County children are drinking fewer sodas and other sugary drinks, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The percentage of children 17 and younger who drank one or more sugar-sweetened drink each day dropped from 43% in 2007 to 38% in 2011.

The results are based on health survey data about children’s consumption of soda, Gatorade, Red Bull, Sunny Delight and other drinks.

The drop suggests that years of public education campaigns may be having an effect, researchers said. They cited one campaign, called Rethink Your Drink, which began in 2009 and focused on reducing the number of low-income children who drink sodas daily. A campaign last year included billboards that read, “You wouldn’t eat 22 packs of sugar, why are you drinking them?”

Despite the declines, the percentage of children who drink sugary beverages is still high, especially among teenagers. More than 50% of youths 12 to 17 had one sugar-sweetened drink each day in 2011.

There were also racial and ethnic disparities, with nearly 49% of black youths and 42% of Latino youths having daily sugary drinks, compared with 26% of whites and 28% of Asians.

Because of the growing evidence of the links between obesity and the consumption of sugary drinks, L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Jonathan Fielding said reducing consumption should be a priority.

“While the slight decline in consumption demonstrates that we’re going in the right direction, there is still significant work to be done,” he said in a statement.

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