You may have noticed lately that there is more mention of “sugar-sweetened beverages” (e.g., soda, sports drinks, fruit drinks) and their link to health problems. Some interesting tidbits I’ve learned lately about sugary drinks:
1. People who drink just one soda a day (yes, even diet soda) are 27% more likely to be overweight. For kids, this number goes up to 60%!
2. Soda intake among kids has doubled in the last decade. The average school-age child consumes about a 1000 calories of sugary drinks a day! Almost half of kids 2-11, drink at least one soda a day, as do 60% of those from ages 12-17.
3. It is recommended we have no more than 5-9 added teaspoons of sugar per day. A 20 oz soda has 17 teaspoons!
4. Liquid calories promote overeating. The body apparently does not register calories from liquids in the same way as it does those from food. That is, if you drink an additional 500 calories of soda a day, your body won’t necessarily compensate by needing fewer overall calories because beverages are not as filling.
5. The CDC has a very interesting animated map showing obesity trends (watch the colors change): http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html#State
If these facts don’t make you think about reducing your soda intake, check out this ad from New York City’s public health officials: