Children should be taught to choose water over sugar-laden drinks to reduce risk factors for developing kidney disease, say experts.
"Our challenge is to overcome the impact of the multimillion dollar advertising barrage aimed at increasing children and teenagers' consumption of soft drinks," said Anne Wilson, Kidney Health Australia's chief executive.
"Any child drinking a 600ml bottle of soft drink consumes sixteen teaspoons of sugar.
"As a regular behaviour, this raises major health concerns and exposures to health problems including high risk factors for chronic kidney disease."
She was speaking ahead of World Kidney Day on Thursday.
Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Nephrology Association chairman Dr Joshua Kausman said obesity and high blood pressure, major risks for developing kidney disease, often have their origins in childhood.
"It is a priority to enable children to develop sustainable health promoting lifestyles early in life to help prevent chronic disease later in life."
Dr Kausman also called for increased research into the cause of inherited kidney disease in young children.
While dialysis and transplants are highly successful in kids whose kidneys fail, they don't offer a complete cure.
They are at a 10-100 fold higher risk of dying and had a life expectancy 25 to 50 years less than their healthy peers, he said.
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