The study, done by researchers at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA), was based on data from more than 40,000 interviews. It found that adults who drink soda were 27 per cent more likely to be obese than those who don't, regardless of their ethnicity or income.
Calories in Soda
Over the past 30 years, Americans have consumed on average an extra 278 calories per day, and up to 43 percent of these extra calories have come exclusively from carbonated beverages. These can contain up to 17 teaspoons of sugar in a 20-ounce serving. An additional problem is that this increase in caloric intake has not been offset by an increase in physical activity.
Nearly one-third of Americans are considered obese today, and reducing the empty calories people get from soda would go a long way toward reducing this problem. Here are some ideas for alternative beverages:
- Water flavored with a slice of lemon or lime is the top choice. The fruit adds flavor, and water is, of course, the best choice for hydrating your body.
- Small amounts of pure fruit juices (these are high in calories, so they should be limited if you're trying to lose weight).
- Unsweetened tea or coffee is fine, again in limited amounts since too much caffeine can interfere with sleep, and these beverages are diuretics, which means they reduce the water in your body. You need to drink extra water if you drink a lot of coffee or tea.
Kids and Soda
A focus for the future should be reducing the amount of soda children and teens drink. The study also found that in California, 41 per cent of kids aged two to 11 drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage every day, and 62 per cent of teens do so. This is the equivalent of consuming 39 pounds of sugar in one year.
Since these beverages are marketed heavily to teens, getting them to reduce their consumption of soda is a tough battle. But it's important not only for reducing obesity but also to get teens to drink healthier beverages such as milk. Many teens don't get enough calcium, and adolescence is a crucial time for building bone mass.
By reducing the amount of soda we drink (or even better, eliminating it from our diets), we can take an important first step to reducing obesity. This is even more important for children and teens, since a soda-drinking habit started from this young age can last a long time and be even harder to break.
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