Children who snack on salty food get thirsty, and, too often, turn to calorie-filled sodas. A British study posits that salt is “a hidden factor in the obesity epidemic,” and cutting back on the salt may be a good way to also cut calories.

About 80 percent of the salt people consume is already present in manufactured food, rather than being added later from a salt shaker.

Not only could less salt mean fewer soft drinks and therefore fewer calories, but a reduction in salt also lowers blood pressure.

The study suggested that cutting the amount of salt British children consume in half would lead to a reduction of about 18 ounces of soft drinks per person each week.