Daughters follow mom's lead when choosing beverages

Mothers who want their growing daughters to have strong, healthy bones take heed: Actions really do speak louder than words.

In a new study, Dr. Jennifer Fisher, a CNRC behavioral nutrition researcher and Baylor assistant professor of pediatrics, found that mothers who routinely drank milk had daughters who did the same. Likewise, mothers who avoided milk had daughters who imitated that behavior.

"Parents underestimate how much their own food and beverage choices influence the nutritional content of their children’s diets," said Fisher, whose three-month study involved nearly 200 pairs of 5-year-old European-American girls and their mothers.

Increased awareness of how parental actions influence children’s choices appears warranted. Fisher also found that mother-daughter pairs who drank less milk consumed more non-juice and soft drinks beverages -- and less calcium overall.

"Girls who consumed more than one serving of non-juice or soft drink beverage daily consumed an average of 150 milligrams more calcium per day than their study peers," she said.

Because calcium-poor diets during childhood could increase the risk for osteoporosis later in life and possibly increase the risk of childhood fractures, ensuring kids get plenty of calcium is important, Fisher said.

Although bone building peaks during adolescence, national dietary surveys suggest that children’s calcium consumption drops dramatically with age. The average 9- to 18-year-old consumes just over half of the 1300 milligrams of calcium recommended for this age group each day.

Fisher hopes that her study results will encourage mothers to capitalize on their ability to influence their daughters’ choices.

"Our results suggest that by simply being a good role model and making milk more available in the home, mothers can increase the amount of calcium their daughters consume," she said.

Mothers who can’t drink milk can still help their daughters develop bone-healthy habits by making a point of consuming calcium-fortified and calcium-rich foods, and enjoying weight-bearing exercises, which also have bone-building benefits, she added.

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