Hi, I'm Dr. John Hellerstedt with the Children's Health Minute, presented by this station and TexCare - connecting Texas families with children's health insurance for 18 dollars a month or less.

The trend is clear: Americans are drinking more soft drinks than ever. And, of course, that means more kids are, too. Health experts say too many soft drinks coupled with less physical activity may help explain why today's kids are increasingly overweight.

The calories add up. Each can of soda contains one hundred and fifty calories and eight to ten teaspoons of sugar. Besides the added calories, when kids replace milk or water with soda, they miss out on many essential nutrients they need for growth. So limit the soda pop: it's the healthy thing to do.

Keep your kids healthy. Call TexCare at 1-800-647-6558 to apply or when it's time to renew your children's health care coverage. That's 1-800-647-6558.