Children who drink fruit juice are more likely to be overweight than those who don’t, an Australian study has found. Researchers at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia studied the eating habits of 2,200 children. They found that children who drank fruit juice or fruit drinks were twice as likely to be overweight than those who did not.

Shockingly, fruit juice is more of a dietary concern than soft drinks. Approximately 75 percent of the children surveyed drank at least one glass of juice each day, while 25 percent drank at least three glasses. Only 16 percent regularly drank sodas.

Researchers believe that many parents offer their children fruit juices, thinking that they are a healthy alternative to many of the sugary carbonated drinks on the market. The fact is, many of these juices of loaded with sugar, sweeteners and carbohydrates. A 250 ml serving of grape juice contains approximately 13 teaspoons of sugar, six more teaspoons than cola.