Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. To help children maintain healthy weight, parents may be keeping sight of what's on their kids' plate, but they often overlook what's filling their glasses.

Soda consumption has been linked to poor health and obesity in children. But, drinking too much fruit juice may also contribute to the rising rates of overweight children, according to a new policy statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). One in four children in this country is overweight or is at risk for becoming overweight.

"We're concerned about the excessive amounts of fruit juice that children are drinking today," said co-author of the policy statement Susan S. Baker, M.D., Ph.D., chairperson of AAP's Committee on Nutrition. "Many parents don't realize that many fruit juices contain a lot of sugar and calories with relatively few nutrients in return. As a result, kids who drink juice all day long are depriving themselves of essential nutrients their growing bodies need."

According to the AAP report, most fruit juices do not contain significant amounts of nutrients other than vitamin C. The predominant nutrient is carbohydrate -- either sucrose, fructose or other forms of sugar -- which, if consumed in large quantities can result in diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating and flatulence. In addition, most juices do not contain fiber, nor do they offer any real nutritional advantage over whole fruit.

Children are the single largest group of juice consumers nationwide. The AAP recommends that fruit juice should be limited to 4-6 ounces (or half a glass) per day for children ages 1 to 6 years and 8-12 ounces (or one glass) per day for kids ages 7-18 years.

Doctor's "NEW" Orders

Another concern with "over-juicing" is that kids might be skipping nutrient-rich beverages, like milk.

"Children are not getting enough calcium in their diets because they're skipping out on milk," Baker said. "Instead they're drinking beverages that contain little or no calcium -- beverages such as sodas, fruit drinks, and sports drinks. If children choose milk, they would get the nutrients, especially the calcium they need for healthy bones."

The AAP released a policy statement in 1999 encouraging pediatricians to recommend calcium-rich foods, like milk, for children's daily diets to help build bone mass and help prevent rickets, a vitamin D deficiency disease. Milk is one of the most easily accessible sources of vitamin D, a rare dietary nutrient that helps bones absorb calcium. Unfortunately, a recent report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that rickets, which was once thought to be eradicated, is making a comeback.

Parents may also have the misconception that cutting dairy products will reduce their child's likelihood of getting fat. But a recent study on preschool children shows just the opposite is true. The Nutrition Department at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville found that children who followed a diet rich in calcium from dairy foods had lower body fat. In addition, researchers found that dairy products are the most nutrient-dense source of calcium, but often the first food parents cut from their children's diets.

Information For Patients: Make it Milk This Summer

With summer here, kids may want to close their lemonade stand earlier and quench their thirst with healthier beverages, like milk. Children need at least three 8-ounce glasses of milk each day to meet current calcium recommendations of 800mg.

"Many parents have the misperception that calcium-fortified juice is a good replacement for milk," says nutrition expert Carolyn O'Neil, M.S., R.D. "But these juices lack the nutrient powerhouse that milk provides -- nine essential nutrients, including protein and vitamin D."

O'Neil recommends these tips to help parents ensure their kids drink healthfully when the weather heats up:

• Pick a Flavor, Any Flavor - Tempt your taste buds with one of the cool new milk flavors, including strawberry or banana in fun single-serve containers. Or add flavored drink mix to create your own flavor.

• Keep Milk on the Menu - Besides drinking milk, find ways to incorporate milk into mealtime -- cereal and milk for breakfast, pudding made with milk for dessert at dinner.

• Be a Model Mom -- Kids learn from example, so make sure your kids see you drinking milk, too.

• Shake, Shake, Shake - Whip up a creamy, cool milk shake or smoothie with ingredients like lowfat milk, flavored frozen yogurt, peanut butter or fruits. Check out the whymilk.com Web site for recipes and additional tips on how to "get milk."

• Remember: children less than two years of age should drink whole milk. Between ages 2 and 5, fat content may be gradually decreased to lowfat or fat free milk. However, parents should consult their physician before changing their children's diet).