I’ll admit right off the bat that I’m biased on this one. Totally self-serving as it is, I have a vested interest in the health and education of young people today, as I maintain delusions there will be Social Security money for me when I’m an old man who never won the Powerball.
 
I feel way older than I actually am by saying this—considering I still have some growing up to do myself—but we really need to think long and hard about the collective health and well-being of kids today, and if we’re being good stewards of their future.
 
I’m not a parent, but Amy Chua’s “Tiger Mother” style to raising kids, which forbids playdates, sleepovers, TV and anything less than an “A” grade in school, seems kind of excessive. Still, I can understand the tendency toward a strict, tough love approach to parenting given the kind of influences that permeate our culture, especially when it comes to food.  

For example, it seems some companies in the energy drink market have been acting like 8-year-old boys who just consumed way too much sugar and are currently running around in circles, screaming and throwing empty Red Bulls at their younger sisters. I’m sure the equivalent of 80 cups of coffee in one cool-looking can might be worthwhile for someone out there, but given a choice between “that 2:30 feeling” now or a heart murmur later, I’d rather just take a nap after lunch.
 
I’m definitely not alone in my concern. A review of energy drink consumption among children, adolescents and young adults, published recently in the journal Pediatrics, concluded: long-term research should aim to understand the effects in at-risk populations, toxicity surveillance should be improved and regulations of energy-drink sales and consumption should be based on appropriate research.
 
According to self-report surveys, 30-50% of adolescents and young adults consume energy drinks. Frequently containing high and unregulated amounts of caffeine, these drinks have been reported in association with serious adverse effects, especially in children, adolescents and young adults with seizures, diabetes, cardiac abnormalities or mood and behavioral disorders, or those who take certain medications. Of the 5448 U.S. caffeine overdoses reported in 2007, 46% occurred in those younger than 19 years of age.
 
Collectively, food manufacturers have failed to offer healthy products to young people. A study from the Prevention Institute found that 84% of products examined failed to meet basic nutritional standards. The study looked at the front-of-package labeling on 58 “Better-for-You” children’s products—those that manufacturers touted as their most nutritious. The nutritional content was compared against nutritional criteria derived from the U.S. Dietary Guidelines and the National Academies of Science.
 
In spite of the label claims, study findings revealed: more than half (57%) of the study products qualified as high sugar, and 95% of products contained added sugar; more than half (53%) were low in fiber; more than half (53%) of products did not contain any fruits or vegetables (of the fruits and vegetables found, half came from just two ingredients: tomatoes and corn); 24% of prepared foods were high in saturated fats; and more than one-third (36%) of prepared foods and meals were high in sodium.
 
I’m not trying to be a Tiger Mom to the food and beverage industry, but these products aren’t sustainable in today’s time. It’s a matter of evolution, and you don’t want to get left behind—especially with tigers on the prowl.