Is Caffeine a Culprit in the Childhood Obesity Epidemic?

Could your cuppa joe be undoing your diet? Yes, and the effect is four times worse in children.

In his recently published book, The Decaf Diet, which is less a diet book than an in-depth study of humans' relationship with caffeine, Eugene Wells sets up the argument that "regular caffeine consumption encourages overeating, making weight loss and lasting leanness very difficult to achieve."

How? Caffeine contributes to insulin resistance by spiking insulin levels when ingested. It also breaks down muscle tissue, leading to a slower resting metabolism. And caffeine's diuretic effects rid the body of important nutrients, the absence of which causes the brain to start sending hunger signals. Finally, caffeine raises cortisol levels, which also spikes insulin and causes weight gain around the belly.

Wells is careful to point out that these effects arise mostly from long-term habitual use of caffeine, and that it is not necessary for adults to eliminate caffeine altogether to avoid its harmful effects. But he warns that earlier and heavier use of caffeine in children and young adults may cause health problems that are much harder to reverse.

According to Wells, approximately 90 percent of people use caffeine consistently, consuming about 200 mg per day, the equivalent of two cups of coffee. That should come as no surprise to readers, but what is shocking is that 98 percent of children consume caffeine at least once a week, mostly from iced tea, caffeinated soda, energy drinks and a small amount from chocolate. With coffee chains like Starbucks and energy drink manufacturers increasingly marketing to young people, that number is expected to rise sharply over the next few years.

Once a week may not sound like a lot to adults who drink coffee every day, but children are much more susceptible to caffeine than grownups. A typical caffeinated soda, which contains 50 mg of caffeine, is the equivalent of drinking two cups of coffee to a child. And the adult average of 200 mg (two cups of coffee) of caffeine per day would have the effect of eight cups of coffee (800 mg of caffeine) in a child. Not only are children more vulnerable when it comes to caffeine consumption, the fact that they are developing caffeine habits younger and younger suggests that they will have a greater dependence on the substance as adults.

Beverage companies have a vested interest in marketing caffeine-laden drinks to kids with bright colors, cartoons and bandwagon techniques. They know that they are recruiting caffeine consumers for life.

A recent article published by Yifrah Kaminer, a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at University of Connecticut, found that 30 percent of youth between 12 to 17 years consume energy drinks on a regular basis. Some super-caffeinated beverages contain over 500 milligrams; warning labels state that they're not to be consumed by anyone under 18, but regulation is lax.

Unless the USDA takes action to restrict youth-targeted advertising campaigns for caffeinated drinks, the way it has done for alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, American children will grow into caffeine-dependent, overweight adults, a trend that has already begun. You can sign this petition telling the USDA to restrict the advertising of caffeine drinks to young people.

Photo credit: rynosoft