Energy drinks: why it is high time their wings should be clipped | Sarah Boseley

The caffeinated, sugary drinks point to health issues such as obesity and type 2 diabetes

Energy drinks are marketed at active and sporty young people. Red Bull “vitalises body and mind” and “gives you wings”, its advertising has claimed, picturing sports personalities and extreme achievements. Yet energy drinks – loaded with caffeine and sugar – far from healthy, are implicated in overstimulation of the nervous system as well as obesity.

The caffeine content represents the biggest health issue. A study in BMJ Open last year found the average caffeine content was about 30mg per 100ml. Red Bull has said caffeine was “naturally present in more than 60 plants”. But most supermarkets have already banned the sale of energy drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre.

If you’re a parent, what have been your concerns with your children and energy drinks? What do you think of a ban? If you buy energy drinks, what effect do they have on you and why do you think they’re so popular? Or, perhaps you used to buy them but stopped due to the impact it was having on your health?

Related: UK supermarkets ban sales of energy drinks to under-16s

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2PJL8F0