Children’s Coffee Addiction
There's something new brewing before and after school.
Forget about the mall. The hottest hangout for teenagers is the coffee shop.
"Carmel machiatto."
"Pumpkin spice latte."
"Decaf caramel frappuchino."
From lattes and espressos, kids are drinking coffee to get an added jolt of energy, and the teens we talked with all agree.
Ann: "I drink one a day, sometimes more if I get a craving."
Kate: "I live off coffee, I guess."
The number of teen coffee drinkers has increased by 25 percent in the past 2 years. Part of this trend is due to a social aspect, but there are other reasons.
Ariel: "I like the taste and the caffeine."
Sara: "It gives me a little pick up in the morning."
Allyson: "It keeps me awake. I'm in a stressful time right now - college applications."
This is good news for coffee companies, but some parents and doctors are getting the jitters over this teenage trend.
"You certainly can be addicted," contends Dr. Esther Israel, a pediatric gastroenterologist.
She goes on to say that adolescents who drink too much coffee will see the same side effects as adults. "It certainly can play games with your sleep pattern. It can make you hyper."
Many teens are drawn to the blended drinks such as lattes or frappuccinos, and that raises even more red flags.
Dr. Linda Nelson, a pediatrician, explained the dangers. "I do think teenagers and adults need to be aware of all the fat and the sugar in the caffeinated drinks that they are consuming."
A Starbucks grande caramel frappuccino contains 430 calories and 10 grams of saturated fat, half of the recommended daily saturated fat intake. A Dunkin Donuts coffee coolatta with cream runs 350 calories and 14 grams of saturated fat.
"Drinking that 3 or 4 times a day," says Nelson, "is contributing to that obesity epidemic."
Health experts say that if kids insist on drinking coffee, they should ask for decaf or skim milk to cut down on the stimulation and the calories.
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