Social/Kiddies
Energy Drinks Destroying Youths Globally -Reports
Frequent consumption of energy drinks may lead to poor mental and physical health and worsen academic performance in youths. This is a problem because at this stage the brain is still maturing. This is according to the lead researcher, Claire Khouja, from the University of York and other researchers in a work published in BMJ Open journal, February, 2022.
They observed that up to half of children globally consume energy drinks at least weekly. Boys drink more often than girls and higher consumption is linked to greater poverty or deprivation.
Their research uncovered consistent evidence of links between the regular consumption of these drinks and harmful effects on the children’s overall wellbeing. These findings offer support for a government policy, banning the sale of energy drinks to children.
Furthermore, those who drink lots of these drinks get headaches, dizziness, sleep problems, stress and nervousness as well as increased heart rate, shakiness and physical and mental stimulation, Females may experience disturbed menstrual period.
The study also indicated that children who are better informed about the contents of energy drinks, drink less, suggesting that an education campaign or more prominent warnings on packaging could reduce consumption.
Many energy drinks contain large amounts of sugar and stimulants such as caffeine and guarana as well as varying amounts of carbohydrate, protein, amino acids, vitamins, sodium and other minerals. Caffeine may potentiate or increase the action of the sugar content causing insulin to be released.
These Caffeinated energy drinks are marked for boosting energy, reducing tiredness and improving concentration. They include brands like Red bull, Monster energy, Bullet, Rockstar, Boom Boom, Buzz, Effect and XXL.
There is global concern about their consumption and effects on children who may be at risk with ill efects than adults due to caffeine toxicity.
Also, young people are thought to be more at risk compared to older people who may experience beneficial effects.
An additional risk has been observed among university students, who are at higher risks when there is a combination with alcohol.
However, findings indicate that energy drinks consumption among adolescents is associated with alcohol and substance use which may lead to risky behaviours and psychological states, including sensation seeking, depression and anxiety symptoms. It also impacts negatively on executive functions and increases hyperactivity or inattention symptoms among adolescents,therefore there is a potential risk of energy drink consumption in adolescents.
Other reports said increased caffeine consumption in children and adolescents may result in increased blood pressure, sleep disturbances, headaches and stomach aches. Also, self reported injury due to hyperactivity.
The Association of United Kingdom Dietitians stated that consumption of energy drinks by young people is on the rise. Specialist Paediatic, Eating Disorder Dietitian, Annabel Gipp, said that adolescence is a period of maximum bone deposition and caffeine interferes with the absorption of calcium in the small intestine and so may lead to reduced calcium deposition in bones.This may be as a result of energy drinks being consumed instead of calcium -containing drinks such as milk.
The use of energy drinks by adolescents may be affecting future food and drinks choices due to alterations in the reward and addiction centre of the brain. Subsequently, young people with eating disorders are at a higher risk of cardiac arrhythmias due to their low weight, so the use of these products may be particularly worrying.
Also, data collected from the Australian NSW Poison Information Centre reported calls over a seven year period relating to energy drink consumption with young people increasing from 12 in 2004 to 65 in 2010. Symptons ranged from gastrointestinal upset and hyperactivity to hallucinations, seizures and cardiac ischaema.128 people required hospitalisation in this study.
In another study to find the effect of “Red Bull” energy drink on some neurotransmitters content and histological structure of cerebral cortex in male albino rats, Bawazir and Almehmadi (2017), found out that the chronic administration of red bull caused a significant decrease in neurotransmitter contents in different brain regions and have caused histological changes in the cerebral cortex area which have led to an atrophy of nuclei nerve cells and abnormalities in pyramidal cells which may be due to the effect of caffeine.
Meanwhile, concerns about marketing and consumption of energy drinks have led to some countries to regulate a name change from energy drinks to stimulant. In the United Kingdom, guidance on sale of caffeinated energy drinks to children and youth is still in development.
However, recently, several large UK stores have voluntarily stopped selling energy drinks to those below 16 years.
By: Ibinabo Ogolo
It is the idea of God that family should exit. Children form part of the family. God loves family so much that Jesus was born into the family of Joseph.
Everyone’s family is good and important. Children should not look down on their family whether they are rich or poor.
Children should respect and honour their family and foster love among their siblings. They should work together and make peace in the family. They should always stand in the gap. It is good for family members to carry all along since everyone may not be doing well.
The Christianity that children learn is practised in family. Faith-based organisations do a great job in moulding children’s character. Those are the behaviours that children exhibit towards siblings in family.
Every child born in a family is there for a purpose. A baby born into a family is supplying something. It may be joy, wealth and so on. Everyone is important in a family.
Adolescents who have graduated from school but may not be contributing financially can do one or two things at home. You can engage in preparing meals at home while parents are away for a job or business. Contributing in house chores will go a long way to relieve parents of stress after a day’s job.
What do you contribute to your family, especially during holidays both in nuclear and extended family?
The family you were born is constant but friends are temporary. You can decide not to continue in friendship but you cannot cut off your family. No matter how bad you think your family is and you decide to leave home, you must surely return. Your friends can harbour you for a while.
The child’s first identity comes from the family. What the child learns first comes from the family.
Family is the centre of love and care. People have started playing down on marriage because of neglect on basics of family. Marriage starts today and and the next few months, it is threatened. Respect for family plays a crucial role in marriage.
No child grows without parental control and influence. If a child refuses to grow without taking instructions from parents, he may grow up being wild. There are consequences when children do not obey their parents. There are those who want to be rebellious against their parents. They should know that their length of days are tied to their parents.
Your bioligical parents know you more than every other person. There is the wisdom and knowledge your parents have that you do not so it is proper to listen to them before choosing carriers both in academics and job. A young man or woman can choose who to get married to, but a greater role in the choice of who to marry and the marriage proper comes from the parents.
They know what is best for you. No matter how modern trends will influence you and prove it wrong, parent is the key. No one can love you more than your parents because they are your blood.
A lot of parents have been traumatised due to the fact that children they nurtured and trained turned their back on them at older age. Children should not abandon their parents for any reason.
As you grow up, situations may arise in marriage when you decide it is over with your spouse, but no matter the level of provocation with your parents, they will not despise you. Parents will also play a role in that regard. Problem arises in every family but how it is handled matters a lot.
Some children honour their mentors more than their parents. Although there are parents who shy away from their responsibilities. It is important that parents take full responsibility of their children. You cannot bring a child to the planet earth and refuse to perform roles as a parent. But parents may not quantify what they spent from childhood to adolescence. That is a blessing children cannot get from another person.
There are people who have attributed their failure in life to the fact that their parents, especially mothers are witchcraft. It is wrong to feel that your mother is instrumental to your failure in life. The only way to success is hardwork.
Let money not determine the level of love for your parents. Wherever a child goes, family is constant.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
Naturally, when a child is born, it is the role of the father and mother to decide a suitable name for the child. The husband and wife normally discuss and suggest the English or vernacular name of the baby.
But sometimes, when a baby comes into a family, grandparents hearts are usually filled with joy to the extent that they want to answer present, by giving their own names not minding the fact that the biological parents have given theirs.
This happens mostly when the marriage is an inter-tribal one. It also happens even in intra-tribal marriage. Grandparents want equal representation as far as naming a child is concerned. They also have special names as a result of circumstances surrounding the birth of the child.
This is still happening till date.
A lot of people have viewed this in different ways but there is nothing wrong about it. The most important thing is that the child bears as many names as he or she can. But one thing is certain, the child must bear one name in school.
Should circumstance determine a child’s name?
Women who are more emotional are always eager to name their children considering the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and arrival.
The issue of grandparents naming a child comes up mostly when it is the first of the family.
In naming children by some parents in the olden days, they named their children according to the days in the week in which they were born, like Sunday, Monday, Friday and so on.
You may be shocked to hear that whether a child is given 10 names by parents or grandparents, when he or she grows up, will decide to change. There are several cases where some persons decided to change especially when they feel that the names given by their parents and grandparents do not give them joy. If they are not doing well in life, they may claim that their misfortune is caused by the name their parents.
Competition among children in schools be it primary, (kindergarten) and secondary come in different forms. It can be Mathematics , debate, quiz, spelling bee,competition, from organisations like Cowbell, multi-national companies, faith-based organisations among others.
They are organised mostly for selected intelligent ones, the best among their peers to represent a class, school or group. Prizes are normally set aside for the best as well as consolation prizes for runners-up at the end of each session.
The question is, are children willing to accept defeat when they fail? As parents, guardians, can you encourage your children or wards to accept defeat instead of shouting and comparing them with others who may be performing better either in schools or outside.
Some parents may be blaming their children for not doing well in competitions. They will like to tell their children if others who may perform better have ten heads. Those group of parents blame their children for every failure.
For your children to do better in competition, the parents too must have emotional intelligence. When you continue to blame your children for failure, how intelligent are you?
Some parents always want their children to be in the 1st position and unhappy whenever they secure 2nd position. There were instances where children smashed their trophies because they never got the position they wanted to get and their parents supported them.
Children should be able to accept it whether they win or not. They should be encouraged for every performance. Discourage the issue of “shame, shame, shame, shame”.
A parent says she always tells her children to win even if they will fail. Always give them the mentality that they can win. Children should be given the impression that they can win prizes and laurels in every competition.
Parents should not isolate their children from others in the neighbourhood. Allow them to play with others. Don’t threaten your children that you may not pay their schools fees if they fail. Comparing them with others may encourage or discourage them.
Coming first or getting award as a first class student from the university sometimes does not mean that the person is the best. And if the child does not merit any award in the lower classes, does not mean that he can not merit first class also.
It should be noted that coming first in academic competition may not really mean that the competitor will be the best at work place or business.
Accepting defeat is a way to move higher. Even if a child who competed with others did not come first, there are consolation prizes for runners-up. When you advise the child to accept defeat, you are encouraging her to win in next competition.
Remember all children cannot be on the same knowledge level Their learning abilities defer.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
