Major medical groups seek to curb sugary drink consumption among kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association today released a set of policies to help reduce children’s consumption of sugary beverages. HHS and the USDA recommend that children and teens consume fewer than 10 percent of their daily calories from added sugars, but recent data show that the actual consumption sits at roughly 17 percent, nearly half of which comes from drinks alone. The new guidelines recommend a host of changes from policymakers, hospitals, and beverage companies, including placing taxes on sugary drinks — which several cities including Seattle and San Francisco have already done — as well as changing the marketing of the drinks.