March 20, 2007/The Age (Melbourne, Australia) -- A Victorian study concluded that primary schoolchildren are twice as likely to be overweight or obese if they regularly consume fruit juice. The Deakin University research showed that fruit juice and other fruit drinks, including cordial, are a more significant problem in childhood obesity than soft drink. The study analysed a one-day snapshot of the diets of 2,200 Victorian children and found that only 16% of children consumed soft drink, while 75% consumed at least one glass of juice and 25% consumed more than three glasses. Children who had two or three serves of cordial were 1.7 times more likely to be overweight or obese compared with children who did not consume any juice or fruit drinks. Children who consumed more than four glasses were 2.1 times more likely to be overweight.

From the March 26, 2007, Prepared Foods e-Flash