A new University of Minnesota study says young mothers are more likely to have poorer health behaviors than women without children. It cited greater intake of sweetened beverages as one culprit, along with more saturated fats and general calories in the diet. It also said young mothers tend to exercise less.

This strikes us as interesting in particular because of what it said about sweetened drinks. That correlates with other studies that caution against drinking and eating too much sugar.

In fact, many medical professionals are known to say, in casual conversations, words along the following lines:

“As a country, we have been cutting back on fats for 30 years, and yet we continue to have heart diseases. The real science is pointing to the large intake of sugars and sweeteners.”

We all need to lay off the pop and the other sources of sugars we ingest. Avoid bad fats (i.e.: potato chips bad; cashews good), but lay off the sugars, too.

Remember that passage in Dan Buettner’s book “Blue Zones” about the research indicating the healthy benefits of drinking just plain water? Many people feel, when thirsty, they need additional flavoring in their beverage. They end up with something sweet. It’s a habit that needs breaking.

Perhaps science is telling us we should drink more water.

(And if you are interested in that University of Minnesota study, be sure to catch the May issue of the journal Pediatrics.)