By CARLA K. JOHNSON

 

CHICAGO Oct 29, 2006 (AP)— More than 500 new energy drinks launched worldwide this year, and coffee fans are probably too old to understand why.

Energy drinks aren’t merely popular with young people. They attract fan mail on their own MySpace pages. They spawn urban legends. They get reviewed by bloggers. And they taste like carbonated cough syrup.

Vying for the dollars of teenagers with promises of weight loss, increased endurance and legal highs, the new products join top-sellers Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar to make up a $3.4 billion-a-year industry that grew by 80 percent last year.

Thirty-one percent of U.S. teenagers say they drink energy drinks, according to Simmons Research. That represents 7.6 million teens, a jump of almost 3 million in three years.

Nutritionists warn that the drinks, laden with caffeine and sugar, can hook kids on an unhealthy jolt-and-crash cycle. The caffeine comes from multiple sources, making it hard to tell how much the drinks contain. Some have B vitamins, which when taken in megadoses can cause rapid heartbeat, and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.

But the biggest worry is how some teens use the drinks. Some report downing several cans in a row to get a buzz, and a new study found a surprising number of poison-center calls from young people getting sick from too much caffeine.

 

“Wow, this drink is some serious stuff. I mean about half the bottle is the warning label, and it is serious, this drink is INSANE. It says that you should not drink it unless you are over 18, which I would say is a good warning.” From a review of an energy drink by Dan Mayer on his Web site, http://www.bandddesigns.com/energy.

 

Danger only adds to the appeal, said Bryan Greenberg, a marketing consultant and an assistant professor of marketing at Elizabethtown College.

“Young people need to break away from the bonds of adults and what society thinks is right,” he said. They’ve grown up watching their parents drink Starbucks coffee, and want their own version. Heart palpitations aren’t likely to scare them off.

Do you know what happens to be the most unhealthy time of the day? Chances are it’s those hours after school when children consume lots of sugary drinks and snacks. We need to pay more attention to this phenomenon, particularly as doctors find themselves treating more and more youngsters who are overweight. Put the soda down . . . and drink some water!

One moment, Robert Cheruiyot was about to celebrate his victory at the Chicago Marathon. The next, he was on the ground, bleeding from the head, and dazed.
“Did I win the race?” he asked his coach. “What happened?” Although Cheruiyot slipped under the tape, he did cross the finish line. It was a painful ending to a race in which he sprinted away from Njenga in the final stretch and finished in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 35 seconds. Ouch! I hope he’s okay. Get him a trophy . . . and an ice cold glass of HINT!

Here’s a helpful tip about good health and sound eating: Throw some HINT in your lunchbox. I know too many young people – and adults – who will put a healthy sandwich or snack in their lunchbox, only to ruin things with some sugary drink. Big mistake! After all, staying hydrated is essential; don’t undermine your own progress by consuming junk. What’s in your lunchbox?

For years, Halloween has been a special day of joy in my household. And yet, I have nothing but regret the day after. Why did I eat all that candy? How could I have consumed so much junk? Food guilt, indeed. No more! I’ve planned a Halloween party where friends and family will enjoy healthy snacks, cool entertainment (a colleague is an amateur comedian) and no soda. None. Zilch. Nada. I will, however, be serving a lot of HINT. Happy Halloween!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an important occasion for people affected by this condition. My heart genuinely goes out to the brave women who confront this disease. If nothing else, this form of cancer, which is treatable (if detected early enough), warrants a lot more research dollars and emphasis about prevention. To what extent does diet play a role concerning this issue? This is a legitimate question because, as someone who has a relative who survived breast cancer, I know how important diet is in a person’s recovery. One thing’s for sure: a poor diet is a no-no. Here’s to good health. A toast from HINT to all those courageous women who valiantly work to educate the public about breast cancer. We will find a cure!

Here’s another reason to pay special attention to HINT’s motto: “Drink Water, Not Sugar.” Minnesota’s Pioneer Press has a powerful article about the rise in Type 2 Diabetes among young children. For example: In a study of 16 Twin Cities middle schools published last year in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, researchers found that food was ever-present during the school day, with 73 percent of teachers admitting they used candy as an incentive or reward in the classroom. Candy as an incentive? Whoa! As fun as that may sound for a child, this “rewards” program is nothing of the sort. Sugary drinks and snacks set a terrible precedent for children, placing them on the path toward poor health and obesity. That’s right: Drink Water, Not Sugar.