site.btaEvery Second Child in Bulgaria Consumes Energy Drinks, Survey Shows

Every second child in Bulgaria aged between 7 and 18 years has consumed energy drinks, according to the data from the latest nationally representative survey on the eating habits of children in Bulgaria, conducted on behalf of Lidl Bulgaria and implemented by research agency Blue Point, the chain said on Friday.

The survey also touches upon eating habits in terms of understanding of healthy eating, types of food consumed, frequency of eating, eating at school, conscious eating as an attitude to consumption and environmental protection, among others. 

To the question "How often do you consume each of the following foods?", one of the possible answers being "energy drinks", every second child in Bulgaria between 7 and 18 years of age reported having consumed an energy drink at least once. In the 7-13 age group, the proportion of children who have consumed energy drinks is 32.5%, which is one in three children, and in the 14-18 age group this proportion is 73%, or almost three in four children. The difference in consumption between boys and girls is non-significant with a slight preponderance in boys. 

Regarding the frequency of energy drink consumption, the data show that 10.8% of 14-18 year-olds consume energy drinks every day and 21% consume energy drinks several times a week.

"This survey is the logical continuation of the one conducted as part of the ‘NutritionSense’ campaign among the adult population in Bulgaria in January this year, when the alarming trend emerged that 68.4% of parents in Bulgaria do not set restrictions in the diet of their children. Excessive consumption of energy drinks in children most often has consequences for the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Mood and sleep regulation are particularly adversely affected. The hormonal balance in terms of adrenal glands and sex hormones deteriorates, and the risk of metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance, overweight and obesity, increases," said Medical Nutrition Therapy and Integrative Medicine Association President Darina Naydenova.

The full report with the results of the national representative survey on the eating habits of children in Bulgaria, part of the long-term information campaign "NutritionSense", will be presented on September 18.