Today, girls and boys generally are drinking twice as much soda as milk. It's no secret that these years are critical for teens to consume calcium. Lack of calcium can set the stage for osteoporosis and bone fractures later in life. Research also indicates that calcium plays a role in preventing other chronic diseases including high blood pressure, kidney stones and some forms of cancer. At the same time, it's probably no coincidence that adolescent obesity has risen parallel to soft drink consumption over the past two decades.
Overweight teens consume a larger proportion of their calories from soft drinks than do other teens.
One 12-ounce can of regular soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. A major cause of increased soft drink consumption is the increasing size of soft drink containers. Super-size servings can be even larger. Colas, coffee-based drinks, some sodas and tea all contain significant amounts of caffeine. A teen consuming several of these drinks each day can experience stomach upsets and heart palpitations.