Community News Article: Promoting Health Drinks and Lifestyle Essay

Resumen: This article discusses how in the Appalachian areas of the United States children as young as 6 month are given this high-sugar, highly caffeinated cheap soda to drink called Mountain Dew. This may be because Mountain Dew is cheaper than milk. Parents are allowing far too much caffeine in their systems which cause potential bone damages and mailing causing teeth to rot in the toddlers as young as age two. Lemon and Lime drinks are very damaging to the teeth and Mountain Dew has both. Citric acid is in a lot of lemon or lime- flavored beverages and all carbonated beverages have phosphoric acid that which erode the teeth. Many dentist have tried to educate families and have offered free services to help but these programs can’t work if parents refuse to carry good dental hygiene. The Organization of Public Health Law Research says that West Virginia is so bad that legal action may be necessary, such as implementation of an excise tax on soda, limiting purchases of the drinks with food stamps, educating young mothers and making dental care part of the well-baby visit, especially since many don’t visit dentist until they are 5 years old. Reversing this problem is what health providers are trying to do especially since in West Virginia tooth decay and rotten teeth is normal. Opinion After reading this article, I was very shocked that mothers are given toddlers soda to drink, especially because they find soda cheaper than milk. Parents need to think about their children’s health and their future. I use to love drinking Mountain Dew and I am so glad I don’t drink it anymore. Promoting health drinks and lifestyle is very important to do especially in this century where parents have no time to feed or give children a healthy meal and just solve the solution with fast food or soda. As nurses this is something we must always try to educate families about. If we don’t teach children how to take good care of themselves who will?