The following is a collaborative blog which summarizes the article How Big A Problem Are Energy Drinks, Really by Richard C. Senelick, M.D., and connects it to our collaborative research project. The authors include Daniele, Jazmyne, Kristin and Rebecca.
The article begins with a quote by a college senior who drinks red bull and coffee on a daily basis while in school. She describes what the appeal is for some other students that she knows and goes on to explain the impact it has on her personally. This was especially intriguing to us because we plan to interview Rowan students about their experiences with Red Bull, and this could be used as a guide to construct some of the questions we can ask to ensure that we get useful information. Senelick gives us some more information about the student he has quoted before diving into the article. This made us think about how we will conduct our interviews. Should we ask students for some basic information about themselves to ensure we are getting data from a variety of different types of students? Should we go into the task of conducting interviews with specific criteria in mind?
Senelick gives a list of the ingredients found in typical energy drinks. He explains that energy drinks are unique in that they are considered health supplements, and therefore not regulated by the FDA. He also describes how the marketing of these products is geared towards young people and then made easily accessible to them. This is something that we need to think about as we consider how we want to inform our audience. Some students might not think about FDA regulations at all, but some might just assume that any food or drink item that they buy in the store has been FDA approved. We also found it interesting that since these drinks are categorized as supplements, the companies that make them do not have to prove that their product works or that it is safe. This is definitely something that would we like to research further.
Senelick draws attention to the differences in adults and adolescents that make consuming these products more of a concern for young people. What could work for an adult could cause adverse effects for an adolescent. Because there is no warning label requirement, the appropriate age range for consuming these energy drinks is not specified. Senelick’s concern is for children and adolescents, the way these drinks are marketed to them and the easy access they have to large quantities of potentially harmful substances, like caffeine. He worries about the ingredients for which the effects have had no scientific studies conducted. He is advocating for more responsible labeling and regulations in order to protect young people. This is also an aspect we could study further. How would those we interview feel, knowing that there are ingredients that could have unknown effects? How much information will we be able to find on these ingredients in our own research? Should an ingredient be considered safe for consumption if there is limited information on it?
While this article only contains a small amount of the information that we need, it has given us many things to consider and research further.
The article begins with a quote by a college senior who drinks red bull and coffee on a daily basis while in school. She describes what the appeal is for some other students that she knows and goes on to explain the impact it has on her personally. This was especially intriguing to us because we plan to interview Rowan students about their experiences with Red Bull, and this could be used as a guide to construct some of the questions we can ask to ensure that we get useful information. Senelick gives us some more information about the student he has quoted before diving into the article. This made us think about how we will conduct our interviews. Should we ask students for some basic information about themselves to ensure we are getting data from a variety of different types of students? Should we go into the task of conducting interviews with specific criteria in mind?
Senelick gives a list of the ingredients found in typical energy drinks. He explains that energy drinks are unique in that they are considered health supplements, and therefore not regulated by the FDA. He also describes how the marketing of these products is geared towards young people and then made easily accessible to them. This is something that we need to think about as we consider how we want to inform our audience. Some students might not think about FDA regulations at all, but some might just assume that any food or drink item that they buy in the store has been FDA approved. We also found it interesting that since these drinks are categorized as supplements, the companies that make them do not have to prove that their product works or that it is safe. This is definitely something that would we like to research further.
Senelick draws attention to the differences in adults and adolescents that make consuming these products more of a concern for young people. What could work for an adult could cause adverse effects for an adolescent. Because there is no warning label requirement, the appropriate age range for consuming these energy drinks is not specified. Senelick’s concern is for children and adolescents, the way these drinks are marketed to them and the easy access they have to large quantities of potentially harmful substances, like caffeine. He worries about the ingredients for which the effects have had no scientific studies conducted. He is advocating for more responsible labeling and regulations in order to protect young people. This is also an aspect we could study further. How would those we interview feel, knowing that there are ingredients that could have unknown effects? How much information will we be able to find on these ingredients in our own research? Should an ingredient be considered safe for consumption if there is limited information on it?
While this article only contains a small amount of the information that we need, it has given us many things to consider and research further.
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