The real truth about sugary drinks: How much is OK for kids to consume? How many sugary drinks are too many?

Too much sugar is associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. But it can be so good and can seem addictive — even if it's not.

Should we tell our kids to cut it out? Maybe so.

About two-thirds of kids have had at least one soda, fruit juice or sports drink on a given day, according to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And nearly a quarter of children aged 12 to 19 in the U.S. have either type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, according to a separate, 2012 study in the journal Pediatrics.

"We’re not talking about people in their latter stages of life," says Shawn McIntosh, executive director of Sugar Free Kids Maryland, which has been lobbying to require healthy vending machines on government property in that state. "These are kids that haven’t yet received a high school diploma."

To live healthier and longer, most people need to be more active and eat better. That includes getting fewer calories from added sugars, the CDC says.

The American Diabetes Association has some tips for those with childhood diabetes to manage the disease. They include:

Choosing healthy foods

Exercising daily

Taking medications and checking blood glucose as doctors advise

Diabetes can directly lead to heart attacks, stroke and eventual blindness and the younger a person is when they get type 2 diabetes, the greater the risk of eye disorders that can lead to blindness.