ENERGY DRINKS BAD FOR CHILDREN..STOP IT

Government proposes energy drinks ban for children The sale of energy drinks could be banned in England to anybody under 18, amid fears they are damaging children's health, the prime minister has said. The government has launched a public consultation on its plans to make it illegal to sell the drinks to children. Energy drinks contain high levels of sugar and caffeine and have been linked to obesity and other health issues. Reality Check: Is caffeine bad for your health? The two main ingredients of concern in energy drinks are sugar and caffeine. We know having a diet too high in sugar risks weight-gain, which is, in turn, is linked to heart disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes. But how much do we know about what caffeine does to young people's bodies in the short and longer-term? In the short-term, it can cause headaches on withdrawal, irritability, raised blood pressure and heart-rate. But there isn't much good evidence that caffeine directly harms health, including that of children, in the longer term. Although it raises blood pressure in the short-term, there is no association with hypertension (chronic high blood pressure). However, the shorter-term symptoms of caffeine causes may indirectly lead to other health issues. For example, there's plenty of evidence linking disturbed sleep to a range of negative health consequences, including weight gain. One study linked energy drinks to "poor quality or reduced sleep, headaches, risk-seeking behaviour and depressive symptoms". The maximum recommended intake of caffeine for children is lower than for adults - no more than a daily serving of 2.5mg for every kg a child weighs - meaning it's easy for a young person to over-consume caffeine if they drink energy drinks. For more visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45342682 (Adapted from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45342682)