A 2007 study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual convention in Toronto found that drinking 100% pure fruit juice was not associated with children being overweight or at risk of developing weight problems. The study also found that children in the 2-3 year old category who drank the most juice were nearly three times less likely to be overweight or at risk for becoming overweight than children who drank no juice at all.

Study chief Dr. Theresa Nicklas, a child nutrition specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says, "The bottom line is that 100 percent juice consumption is a valuable contributor of nutrients in children's diet and it does not have an association with being overweight."

In addition, the study discovered the following:

• Drinking juice was linked to a lower intake of total fat, saturated fat, salt and added sugars.
• Juice drinking was linked to a higher consumption of whole fruit.
• Kids who drank more fruit juice did not decrease the amount of milk they were drinking.