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Soft Drinks Dealt Another Blow
Category: Diet and Nutrition
A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition dealt the soft drink industry another blow. A team of researches based at Harvard reviewed more than 30 nutritional studies and concluded that the edition of soft drinks into the standard american diet is a major factor in the obesity epidemic happening today.
The report goes so far as to say that having one can of soda per day can add an extra 15 pounds per year. This may seem drastic to some, especially those in the beverage industry but the trends cannot be ignored. In the last few decades the rates of obesity in the US has dramatically increased, with an alarming 66% of Americans either overweight or obese today.
Soft drinks have long been viewed by those in the healthcare industry as a menace to weight issues and a key problem in adolescents. A typical soda contains as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar. Americans are consuming too many calories in soft drinks without the nutrient intake. The review estimated that as much as one third of all calories in the standard american diet come from sugars and sweetened beverages, when that number should be more like one tenth according to the World Health Organization.
The authors of the review are not saying that soft drink consumption is the cause of obsesity, but that it is a significant factor. Leaders in healthcare and other public arenas need to take steps to limit consumption and to recommend other forms of hydration. A key move was accomplished earlier this year when all soft drinks were removed from elementary and middle schools and high schools are now only allowed to carry diet soft drinks.
Although science and the healthcare industry are behind the push to curb soft drink consumption it is really going to take educating the public about proper nutrition to make any sweeping changes. The soft drink industry is a billion dollar business that just continues to expand with new drink options being offered everyday. If we make a consious choice not to drink these beverages perhaps the push will be towards more nutrient rich, lower calorie drink options that do not pack on the pounds.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on January 3, 2014 10:00 AM
