High Salt Intake Contributes to Childhood Obesity

Children who consume a diet high in salt are more likely to drink sugary drinks, escalating their risks of gaining unnecessary weight, a new study says.

To analyze the hidden risks of high salt intake, researchers from Deakin University in Melbourne included 4,283 Australian children, aged between two and 16 years, who participated in the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey.

During the study, investigators examined children's food habits, including consumption of salty food, fluid intake and use of sugar sweetened drinks. With every one gram intake of salt per day, children were found consuming 46 grams more fluid and 17 grams more sugar-sweetened drinks.

Children who took more than one sugary drink per day were found at a 34 percent higher risk of becoming overweight or obese.

"The consumption of high sugar drinks is known to contribute to excess weight gain in children and adolescents," lead researcher Carley Grimes said in a news release.

"These findings suggest that children who consume a high salt diet are likely to consume more sugary drinks which increases their risk of becoming overweight or obese. Reducing salt in children's diets may help to reduce the amount of sugary drinks they consume and therefore help with efforts to reduce the high rates of overweight and obesity."

The study is published online in Pediatrics.

The findings come at a time when childhood obesity has more than tripled in the U.S. over the past 30 years.  A  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows a shocking increase in the number of obese children aged six to 11, from 7 percent in 1980 to 20 percent in 2008.

Earlier this year, investigators from CDC found American children consuming a diet high in sodium - nearly 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day, almost equal to the level recommended for an adult.