Reasons for huge increase in soft drink consumption in US

According to the National Soft Drinks Association (NSDA), in 2004, Americans consumed on average 1.5 12-ounce cans per day and spent over nearly $850 per household per year for the consumption of soft drinks. By adjusting these figures on a nationwide basis, U.S. consumers spent over $65 billion on soft drinks and consumed nearly 560 12-ounce cans per year. Pretty scary, isn’t it?

It is scary, but it can certainly be explained.

Soft drink consumption in the United States was a widely recognized phenomenon since 1950s. There was no single man, woman or child at a movie theater without a large pop corn and a soda can. Large displays were all over the places showing the famous vintage Coke signs or the Space Age popcorn box of the 1950s; boys with leather jackets drinking coke; girls with colorful outfits and blood-red lips drinking soda.

In the 1960s, the soft drink industry introduced container sizes in the market. Gradually, the standard size 6-½-ounce serving grew into the 12-ounce can and over time it got replaced by a 20- ounce bottle. What later became known as “big” – and in our era as “super-sized” – was introduced in the era of drive-ins and fancy convertibles. The, 7-Eleven stores introduced the 64-ounce Double Gulp. Inevitably, Americans were consuming gallons of soft drinks in a single-serving container.

At the same time, large beverage companies and fast food chains were offering large servings at low prices to attract more customers and increase consumption. Americans could buy a small (16oz) soda for $1.05 and a large (32oz) soda for only $1.57. So, in effect, they could buy double serving for only half a dollar more.

The impact of advertising and the intense marketing efforts of soft drinks corporations and large beverage companies led to a huge increase of soft drink consumption in the late 1980s. Having spent billions of dollars on advertising and having targeted even children under age 12 as well as elementary school children soft drink companies have managed to double their sales in 1988. Soft drink consumption soared via ads on children’s toys, movies, cartoons, videos and large displays on playgrounds and amusement parks. Besides, they have also targeted adults through TV, radio, magazines and Internet sweepstakes and contests.

During the 1990s, soft drinks corporations, in cooperation with fast food organizations, intensified their marketing efforts, putting American children on the top of their target customer list. Running advertisements on Channel One, large beverage companies had a direct impact on nearly 8 million children of age between 7 and 15. District 11 in Colorado Springs was the first public school to host Burger King’ advertisements in its hallways and on the sides of its school buses, which led to a 10-year contract with Coca Cola and a profit of $11 million over the life of the deal. Following the brilliant example of District 11, all Colorado schools signed similar deals with Coca Cola, and in the name of profit, students were encouraged to have a soda even in the classrooms. The eradication of a junked nation did not stop there. Coca-Cola was reported to have compensated the Boys & Girls Clubs of America $60 million for the exclusive marketing of its brand in over 2,000 school facilities.

After the scary statistics of 2004, there has been an organized effort from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and several consumer organizations to shift consumer preferences toward healthier dietary habits that would not involve the consumption of soft drinks to such a great extent. Indeed, by the end of 2004, the consumption of soft drinks had declined 12 percent, while the sales of soft drinks corporations and large beverage companies had declined 6.6 percent to 52.4 gallons from 56.1 gallons in 1998.

In 2007, the sales volume of soft drinks declined 2.3 percent and in 2008 declined 3 percent, recording the lowest volume since 1997. It seems like the fear for severe health conditions associated to soft drinks overconsumption such as obesity, heart diseases, strokes, cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension, high blood pressure and others, has shifted consumer preferences towards a healthier lifestyle. Admittedly, Americans do not consume as many soft drinks as they used to in the 1990s. The question, though, remains: is it a permanent trend?

How to cut back on soft drink consumption

Soft drinks consumption is soaring for the most part because they taste great, relieve thirst and come in a variety of flavors, sizes and shapes. At the same time, aggressive marketing and promotion from large beverage companies and soft drinks corporations, low pricing and caffeine being one of their main ingredients, has made soft drinks a complement of many foods and, ultimately, an addiction both for children and adult consumers.

However, soft drinks are often the culprit for a large number of severe health conditions associated with their excessive consumption, as a result of high fructose corn syrup, added sugars and high amount of calories contained in them. Scientific studies suggest that the overconsumption of soft drinks can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, hypertension, tooth problems, bone weakening, bone demineralization, heart diseases, strokes and cancer, among others.

Although cutting back on soft drink consumption is not easy as consumers are addicted to drinking two or more cans of soda per day, reducing the consumption of soft drinks is a vital issue, related to improved health conditions, healthier lifestyle and an overall change of mentality. To achieve that, an organized effort on a domestic, local and national level is required.

“Barbarism begins at home”

If Americans consumers calculate the gallons of soft drinks they consume per year, it is certain that they will feel both disgusted and scared. Admittedly, the appealing pricing of container sizes in the super market and the 32oz soda in the fast food, along with the good taste of soft drinks are good reasons to prefer soda over water. However, spending nearly $850 per year on soft drinks and consuming on average 1.5 12-ounce cans per day is a scary 2004 statistic. Although consumption of soft drinks has been slightly reduced in 2007 and 2008, a shift of consumer preferences towards a healthier diet is absolutely required, primarily on a domestic level. Parents should guide their children towards drinking milk and fruit juices instead of soft drinks and they should make sure to full their stock with healthy beverages.

“Society is our broader home”

Schools should ban soft drinks advertisements from their facilities in order to protect children from the great impact of those ads on them. Scientific studies suggest that childhood obesity is directly related to soft drinks advertisements. In this context, schools and other pedagogic organizations should stop the promotion and sale of soft drinks and junk foods in their cafeterias and promote alternative, healthier food choices that would contribute to children’s better physical development enabling them to have an improved physical activity.

Similarly, organizations specialized in cancer prevention and anticipation, heart diseases, bone health and so on, should organize campaigns to inform consumers on reducing soft drink consumption.

“Nation can put things in order”

On a national level, the State should require restaurants to disclose the calorie intake of soft drinks on their menu. It is extremely important to mention nutrition information on the restaurant menus so that consumers are aware of the high amounts of sugar they consume every time they drink a 12oz soda can. Also, vending machines should declare the calorie content of each item they offer.

Besides, the State should require large beverage companies to declare on their labels that the overconsumption of soft drinks increases the likelihood of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay, while it may displace nutritious foods from a balanced diet, thus resulting to osteoporosis.

U.S Senate is also considering putting a federal tax on soft drink consumption arguing that such a measure would raise $1.5 billion per year and will lower soft drink consumption 1 percent. The revenues from taxes on soft drinks will be allocated towards the promotion of a healthier lifestyle and diet. At the same time, governmental and federal agencies would continue sponsoring medical and scientific research to the further exploration of the impact of soft drink consumption on human health.

The negative effect of soft drink consumption on our health

Soft drink consumption and its impact on human health is a highly controversial issue. Being a key contributor to obesity, excessive consumption of soft drinks is closely associated to severe health conditions such as heart attacks, cancer and strokes.

Obesity is one of the most evident and immediate effects of soft drinks consumption. People who consume more than one 12-ounce can of soft drink per day are more likely to gain up to 15 pounds on average per year. High intake of soft drinks is equal to excessive consumption of sugar in the form of fructose corn syrup that is contained in high amounts in each can of soda. Every time we consume an extra can of soda, we actually drink an additional 30 percent of sugar that should have been consumed within a week instead of a day. As a result, our body weight rises and we suffer from high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, along with numerous metabolic abnormalities.

Type 2 diabetes is also related to soft drink consumption. According to experimental and scientific evidence from a study that was performed between 1991 and 1999 by Harvard School of Public Health, women who consumed one or more soft drinks per day were twice more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who consumed less than one soft drink per day. When researchers replaced sugar-sweetened soft drinks with diet soft drinks in the study, the increased risk for type 2 diabetes was lowered. This suggested the positive correlation between soft drink consumption and type 2 diabetes.

Osteoporosis is another severe health condition to which soft drink consumption contributes significantly. Because of the excessive consumption of soft drinks, calcium levels in the blood are lowered, while phosphate levels are increased. This leads calcium to be pulled out of the bones and consequently a deficiency of vitamin K leads to osteoporosis. Soft drinks contain high amounts of phosphate, but no calcium at all.

Perhaps the most consistent finding in scientific experiments is the association between soft drink consumption and increased energy consumption. When we excessively consume soft drinks, the levels of energy increase in our body. This happens because our body needs extra energy from other foods for the energy it consumes in soft drinks. However, as added sugars decrease satiety and we don’t feel hungry, we simply calibrate our levels of sweetness in our preferences for other foods, thus, ultimately increasing the intake of sugar and total energy.

Soft drink consumption is also the culprit for increased levels of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. According to a 10-week study, people who consumed sugar-sweetened soft drinks over the experiment exhibited an increase in the levels of their blood pressure, whereas people who consumed artificially sweetened beverages demonstrated a decrease in blood pressure. Besides, another study suggested a positive correlation between soft drink consumption and hypertension.

Soft drink consumption is also positively associated to other health problems such as urinary or kidney stones, yet to a certain extent and provided that risk factors such as calcium and potassium are controlled. It is also related to dental caries as a result of the high intake of added sugars. Regardless of all above mentioned effects, soft drink consumption is responsible for a variety of health related issues.  According to an experimental study conducted by Harvard, people who are totally healthy, but consume at least one soft drink per day are likely to develop within four years a 25% increased risk of high triglyceride levels, a 31% increased likelihood of obesity, a 32% higher likelihood of lower HDL levels and a 44% increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

Soft drinks: The effect of soda on our teeth and bones

Very few people drink soda because they believe it is good for them. In majority, people love soda because it is tasteful, quenches thirst and comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. However, there is an increasing concern in the scientific world in regards to the harmful effects of soda on human health. And this is because, in numerous experimental studies, intake of soda was associated with condensed bone mass, reduced calcium levels in the blood, and increased fracture risk. Besides, soda consumption is a key factor in the occurrence and prevalence of dental caries. SO, even if people do not realize the harm they do by consuming soda on a daily basis, still the harm is done.

Scientific evidence has shown that excessive consumption of soda is responsible for a variety of severe health problems. In effect, the high amounts of soda contained in soft drinks can increase the risk of muscle dysfunctions, bone softening, bone demineralization and tooth problems. Excessive soda consumption may also lead to hypokalaemia, in which the blood potassium levels decline to such an extent that cause an adverse effect on vital muscle functions. According to a clinical study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, people who consume two or more liters of soda per day are more likely to exhibit one of the above severe health conditions.

One of the most commonly known adverse effects of soda on human body is its contribution to tooth problems. The overconsumption of soda may lead to tooth decay because of the high concentration levels of fructose, sucrose, and glucose on the teeth. Besides, the acid contained in soda can weaken the teeth, dissolve them and eat away at the protective enamel just twenty minutes after consumption. As soda is highly carbonated and contains high amounts of added preservatives, the risk of cavities and teeth erosion is increased. In the United States, the consumption of soda has caused the levels of tooth decay to increase accordingly.

Scientists also claim that high amount of phosphoric acid contained in soda interferes with the body’s ability to keep calcium intake, thus leading calcium out of bones. Inevitably, bone density is severely affected and bones are greatly weakened. In particular, scientists suggest that because soda’s pH is close to 1.5 and a person’s normal pH is between 7.2 and 7.4, it would take 32 glasses of water at a pH of 9 to neutralize one 12-ounce can of soda’s acid level after the soda is consumed. Yet, as people do not normally drink 32 glasses of water per day, soda stays in the body and the phosphoric acid contained in it pushed calcium out of bones in order to normalize the body’s pH again.

According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, girls of 9th- and 10th-grade who consumed soda instead of water or any other healthy drink were five times more susceptible to have fractures. Moreover, girls that were physically active were more likely to break their bones than the girls who did not consume soda.

Overall, soda has many negative effects on human body and health. Although numerous campaigns have been organized and consumer organizations have been working towards the protection of consumers from their bombardment by large beverage companies, soda is being consumed to a great extent in the United States. To such an extent, that, pretty soon, there will be no adult without a bone fracture and no child without eroded teeth.

Soft drinks: Ingredients and their nutritional value

Although soft drinks are often the culprit for a series of health issues, they are, admittedly, vital vehicles of a balanced diet. After intensive work out, soft drinks are quicker absorbed than water providing to human body hydration and energy, while replenishing all the key vitamins and minerals that the body loses during exercising. Soft drinks typically complement fast food meals or pre-packaged foods, but the can also complement a healthy diet and be real catalysts to health and fitness. Besides, their balanced taste of sweet and acid, matched with their variety of pleasant flavors makes soft drinks appealing to all ages of consumers.

Being well aware of the effect that soft drinks have on consumers and the direct effect of advertising on them, soft drinks corporations and large beverage companies target from elementary school children to elder individuals aiming to meet their tastes and increase their profitability. From their point of view, soft drink corporations have a ‘competitive advantage’ over consumers in terms of being aware of the nutritional significance of soft drinks. Although they often exaggerate in the context of promoting their products and achieve highly profitable operations, still they have a point when they stress the nutritional value of soft drinks.

Without aiming to eliminate the negative effects of the soft drink consumption on our health, we have to be able to recognize any of the following positive effects that are derived from three major areas:

Energy: the formula of soft drinks is made in such a way to deliver a quickly assimilated energy that boosts the body. Soft drinks derive nearly 100 percent of their food energy from the high amount of fructose corn syrup they contain. In fact, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a highly misunderstood sweetener. There is no doubt that as a sweetener it is harmful if over-consumed. Particularly, as one of the main ingredients of soft drinks along with carbonated water and caffeine, high fructose corn syrup can be really harmful to human health. However, HFCS is quickly metabolized, almost as quick as regular sugar and therefore, it doesn’t have any greater impact on human metabolism, feeling of hunger, blood glucose levels or the energy intake than sugar. Besides, soft drinks contain high amounts of carbohydrates and are easily digested, while keeping the body’s energy in high levels. Carbohydrates maximize the body’s performance by fueling the muscles and ensuring their proper functioning.

Hydration: soft drinks replenish the fluids lost through sweating while working out. All those vitamins and nutrients that are lost through sweat cause the body to be dehydrated. However, our body needs these fluids in order to control its temperature and transport oxygen as well as other vital nutrients to its cells. Given that we lose water even without exercising, through breathing and through urine, it becomes evident how important it is to replenish all the fluids we lose after intense exercising. According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (IOM), adults should consume 11 to 16 cups of total fluids per day, while the requirements for children range between 9 to 14 cups per day. Soft drinks can replenish these fluids that are vital for the proper functioning of the human body.

Low calorie intake: some soft drinks are formulated to low calorie intake coupled with key vitamins, minerals, proteins and fiber.

 

Overall, soft drinks are not considered human health’s best friends, but admittedly, they have some nutritional value provided they are consumed moderately and within certain limits. The overconsumption that occurred between 1988 and 2004 when Americans consumed two 12-ounce cans of soda per day was an extreme phenomenon that resulted in obesity becoming a national epidemic in the United States, among other severe health conditions. However, this should not undermine the nutritional significance of soft drinks, which can be exploited with moderate consumption and a balanced diet.

Pros and cons of consuming sports drinks

Sports drinks are beverages that contain high amounts of carbohydrates and vitamins to help the body replenish the fluids and nutrients burned during exercising and sporting events. The general notion that sports drinks are only beneficial to our body is wrong, for the most part because the overconsumption of sports drinks can cause real harm to our health.

One of the major advantages of sports drinks is that they replace the fluids we lose while exercising through sweating. Through sweat, we lose a lot of vitamins and nutrients that are vital for the proper functioning of our organism. By consuming sports drinks, we can replenish many of these vitamins. This is the most common reason athletes and active people consume sports drinks.

Another advantage of sports drinks is that they provide an alternative for people who don’t like drinking water after exercising. Normally, water is the best liquid we should drink to replenish for all the lost fluids while working out. However, for people who want to drink something more tasteful than water, sports drinks offer a great alternative for a total rehydration of the body after moderate or intense work-out. They come in a great variety of flavors and are, in majority, sugar-free as opposed to energy drinks that are full of sugar.

Sports drinks contain also high amounts of carbohydrates. Carbs are important in keeping our body’s energy high and particularly, when we exercise or playing sports it is vital that we keep the level of carbohydrates high in our system. Carbs also maximize our performance by keeping our muscles fueled, ensuring their proper function. Besides, the high amounts of carbohydrates combined with the high amounts of proteins contained in sports drinks enhance athletes’ performance further.

Another advantage of sports drinks is that they can be digested easier than food, particularly when our body undergoes any type of stress. We often consume protein bars as replacements for a meal. However, even these little bars cannot be digested as quickly as sports drinks because sports drinks come in the form of fluids that need to be replenished in our body after exercising and we digest the vital elements that we need in order to enhance our performance.

On the other hand, in spite of all the above mentioned advantages, sports drinks have several disadvantages too.

First of all, the fact alone that sports drinks replace water in situations that people prefer colorful drinks instead of pure water after exercising is the main disadvantage of consuming sports drinks. Indeed, sports drinks replenish the fluids and nutrients burned during working out, however this is not valid for all sport activities. Scientific research suggests that the advantageous use of sports drinks in relation to replenishing our system is reasonable after 45 minutes of strenuous cardiovascular activity, which is performed with aerobic, running, jogging or playing any fast-paced sport.

As already said, the majority of sports drinks are low in sugar, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t contain sugar at all. In fact, some of the most popular brands contain as much as 8 teaspoons of sugar per 8 ounces of fluid. Apparently, this amount of sugar is used to make the sports drinks taste good. However, consuming so much sugar on a daily basis over a long period of time can have a negative impact on our health and can cause serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, increased levels of blood pressure and obesity.

Besides, the acid contained in sports drinks combined with sugar can dissolve the teeth and eat away at the protective enamel. This happens because when we drink sports drinks, we are low in fluids because of intense exercising. As we are thirsty, the saliva that we have in our mouth and that normally protects our teeth, is not enough to wash away harmful substances. Therefore, sports drinks can erode our teeth up to 30 times more than water.

Finally, scientific experiments have shown that sports drinks contain high amounts of caffeine that can be extremely harmful to our nervous system if they are consumed over a long period of time. Even, if they are moderately consumed, they can cause dizziness, anxiety, sleeplessness and hypertension.

All in all, the overconsumption of sports drinks may cause a great deal of health problems to people who lead extremely active lifestyles. Particularly strenuous activities like playing tennis, running or jogging require replenishing the vitamins and minerals that are lost during working out. However, for people who are not very active, consuming sports drinks on a regular basis can cause more harm than good.

Soft drink consumption and acidity

Since 1849 that soft drinks were introduced in the American market, their consumption has soared tremendously for numerous reasons. The direct impact of aggressive marketing from large beverage companies, their low pricing, their great taste, and their exceptional matching with fast food meals and pre-packaged foods, all have made soft drinks a daily routine to the American life. However, excessive consumption of soft drinks is not a health-promoting choice, for the most part because they contain high amounts of added sugars, caffeine, and phosphoric acid.

Phosphoric acid is a chemical additive contained in soft drinks as an artificial flavoring that keeps the carbonated bubbles from going flat. Large beverages companies use phosphoric acid to provide soft drinks with a fizzy bubbling appearance.

One of the major negative effects of phosphoric acid on our health is that it oozes calcium out of the bones, leading to osteoporosis. To be in healthy condition, our body needs to maintain a balance between calcium and phosphorus. When we consume soft drinks moderately, the calcium released from our teeth and bones to our blood balances the phosphoric acid in the soft drink. However, when we consume soft drinks excessively, the phosphoric acid oozes calcium out of our bones. Consequently, our bones are weakened and we face a high risk of developing osteoporosis.

Another major impact of phosphoric acid on our health is that it neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in our stomach. Hydrochloric acid contributes a great deal to a good digestion of food and an efficient calcium metabolism. When calcium is oozed out of our bones, it cannot be restored with hydrochloric acid as the latter is neutralized by phosphoric acid contained in soft drinks. As a result, we may develop an increased risk of kidney or urinary stones.

Phosphoric acid can also cause our teeth to dissolve or erode. Scientific experimentation has demonstrated teeth that have eroded after being immersed for several days in a soft drink. This happens for the following reason: when we consume soft drinks moderately, our teeth enamel is protected because phosphoric acid is neutralized. Besides, the calcium, phosphorus and fluoride contained in our saliva, all remineralize our teeth. However, the overconsumption of soft drinks has a detrimental effect on our teeth because the phosphoric acid dissolves them and, ultimately, erodes them.

The key to protect our health from the negative effects on phosphoric acid is to cut back on soft drink consumption. All research studies suggest that phosphoric acid in soft drinks contributes to dental erosion and calcium imbalance when excessive consumption occurs and not in the course of moderate soft drink consumption. Soft drinks have also a nutritional value that is released provided we consume a regular intake per day and not excessive amounts that cannot be processed by our system. In bottom line, if we consume a healthy, balanced diet with nutritional foods and we exercise regularly, soft drinks can do the least damage in our effort to lead a healthy life. And they can contribute to a refreshing daily routine.

Relation between soft drinks advertisements and childhood obesity

Advertising is always important when related to influencing consumer preferences. Particularly, when consumers are children, who are more susceptible to appealing advertisements and effective promotion of food products, advertising can have a really direct effect on how children perceive dietary habits, and even worse, on what they consume on a daily basis.

Scientific research confirms that both adults and children, who spend time watching TV exhibit poor dietary habits, decreased physical activity, poor health conditions and obesity. This happens primarily because watching TV is basically a sedentary activity that puts metabolism to sleep thus significantly reducing metabolic rates. However, watching TV is always associated with eating a snack, a pre-packaged meal or a fast food meal and drinking one or two cans of soda; and the consumption of such types of foods increases directly as people get exposed to relevant advertisements.

In this context, there is a direct correlation between soft drinks advertisements and childhood obesity. This is sustained primarily by the fact that the more children watch TV, the more their food choices change, preferring soft drinks over milk. The food industry emphasizes on high-calorie foods and low-nutrient products on its TV advertisements and this is what children see, get influenced by and want to eat or drink. Besides, for children and for many adults, a hamburger and a cola meal from the local fast food sounds tastier than a healthy meal with vegetables and soup.

Children are also stimulated by similar preferences of their peers. If their friends at school drink a soda can every day, then this is a trend that has to be followed. And this stimulus is further increased by TV advertisements. Typical teenagers consume at least two 12oz cans of soft drinks per day, which equals to 350 calories and 20 teaspoons of sugar or 20 percent of the total amount of calories when the recommended amount for children is 10 percent. Considering that children consume sweets and sweetened fruit drinks during the day, the total amount of calories increases to 43 percent (!). So, basically, nearly half of the daily diet of American children is based on added sugars and sweetened snacks, instead of milk and nutrient drinks, which makes nutritional deficiencies a sad reality. And there is absolutely no doubt that advertisements contribute to a great extent to children’s eating and drinking preferences.

Besides, The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on School Health has suggested that the excessive consumption of soft drinks in schools contributes to childhood obesity. During the 1990s, large beverage companies were running advertisements on Channel One that was playing 24/7 in the school classrooms targeting 8 million children of elementary, middle and high school. Besides, advertisements of large fast food chains (Burger King) were hosted in school hallways leading to huge contracts with Coca Cola and great profitability for all parties involved. Apparently, marketing and advertising impact did their job more than successfully in these cases.

Because of all the above, today childhood obesity is a huge problem in the United States. Statistics report that 20% percent of preschool children are obese because of poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyle (TV and fast food meal combination), which will result in a 50% of American children to be obese in 2010. Apart from having become a national epidemic, obesity is also the culprit for developing all types of cancers as well as heart diseases, osteoporosis, kidney failure, central nervous system problems, metabolic abnormalities, hypertension, and migraines, among others.

In order to deal with this huge problem and anticipate childhood obesity, large beverage companies have agreed to stop targeting with their TV advertisements at children under age 12. This was a decision that was taken partly under the threat of rulings on soft drinks advertisements and partly out of sensitivity to deal with childhood obesity, both in the U.S. and Europe. Besides, soft drinks sales have been banned from Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Miami schools.

One thing that should be taken into consideration is that children are not able to evaluate advertisements and decide on what is the best food or drink for their health and future life. Parents are responsible for their children’s choices, and particularly for those choices that are related to health issues and healthy dietary habits. Soft drinks are particularly responsible for many unfavorable health conditions and especially the increased likelihood of obesity. Therefore, parents are the ones to guide their children not to replace milk over soda, thus maintaining the adequate calcium levels in their blood and lower the risk for osteoporosis. In any case, no matter how aggressive or direct the impact of soft drinks advertisements is on children, parents are the ones to pay particular attention on food and drink preferences and increased request for particular foods. This is probably the only way to fight childhood obesity.

How soft drinks contribute to obesity

Obesity is, admittedly, an intricate issue that may depend on numerous factors. Genetics, eating habits, lifestyle and exercise are some of the most commonly referred causes of obesity. Although there is no single cause for obesity, researchers have correlated the increased consumption of sugary beverages with the rise of obesity in the United States, considering the soft drink consumption as one of the top contributors to the obesity problem.

In 2005, ‘Liquid Candy’, a report produced by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), suggested that soft drinks are the leading source of calories in the diet of Americans. Soft drinks have a high concentration of added sugars, and particularly, fructose corn syrup in each can. However, as fructose is known for not affecting appetite, people who regularly consume fructose-sweetened drinks do not feel satiated and thus overconsumption is encouraged. Besides, companies produce nearly 52 gallons of soda pop per year, enough to fill up every man, woman or child.

Another study conducted by a Harvard School of Public Health indicated that the increased consumption of soft drinks by women from less than one per week to more than one per day resulted in gaining eighteen pounds on average per year. On the contrary, women who cut back on soft drink consumption and reduced it to no more than one per day gained only six pounds on average per year. Besides obesity, overconsumption of soft drinks was also associated to severe health conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

The increased consumption of soft drinks per day may add up to fifteen pounds to an average body weight in a year. Besides, added sugars are not only high on calories, but they also impede the natural ability of body to process calories. High intake of added sugars displaces the nutritional value of a healthy diet and is correlated to lower intake of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. As a result, overconsumption of soft drinks is implicated for high triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

According to the American Heart Association, the recommended consumption of added sugars should account up to 10 percent of total daily consumption in order to avoid metabolic abnormalities, unfavorable health conditions and deficit in essential nutrients. However, the average American consumes 130 calories and eight teaspoons of sugar per day by drinking one 12-ounce can of soft drink. Besides, American children consume one-third of their daily calories from soft drinks and may account even for 43 percent of their total daily consumption.

Beyond any doubt, the empty calories of soft drinks contribute to obesity. This has become more evident in the late 1990s when consumption of soft drinks reached its peak, an impressive 56.1 gallons per American yearly (!). According to scientific evidence, obesity is directly related to soft drink consumption. In return, excess weight leads to severe health conditions such as heart diseases, strokes and cancer. No wonder then why obesity is the second cause of death in the United States, after cancer.

How carbonated beverages can lead to heart diseases

Soft drink consumption is generally associated to severe health conditions. Although soft drinks have nutritional value and help the body rehydrate, while replenishing all its vital vitamins and minerals after intense exercising, they are, admittedly, harmful.

Heart diseases are included in the long list of severe health conditions that are associated to the consumption of soft drinks. Scientific research has shown that the added sugars contained in the soft drinks in the form of high fructose corn syrup are responsible for increased levels of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. According to a 10-week scientific experiment, people who consume sugar-sweetened soft drinks demonstrate high levels of blood pressure. On the contrary, people who consume artificially sweetened beverages exhibit lower levels of blood pressure.

The Framingham Heart Study that was published in ‘Circulation’, the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggests that people who consume more than one 12-ounce carbonated beverage per day are 44 percent more likely to develop heart disease within a follow-up period of four years as a result of an increase in metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that determine an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Symptoms may include high blood pressure, low levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), increasing weight gain and high glucose levels. According to Framingham researchers, the presence of at least three of these symptoms put a person at a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that excessive consumption of carbonated beverages puts female populations at a higher risk for coronary heart disease. According to the study, sugar-sweetened beverage intake and the risk of developing heart disease are positively related. Having controlled the factors of smoking, unhealthy diet, low levels of physical activity and high body mass index (BMI), the study suggests that women who consume two or more carbonated drinks per day exhibit a 35 percent higher risk of developing a heart disease than those who consume less than two carbonated drinks per month (!).

The findings of above studies related the risk of heart disease to diet carbonated beverages as well. As such, many organizations questioned their findings suggesting that diet soft drinks contain artificial sweeteners and therefore, their consumption shouldn’t be related to metabolic syndrome. However, researchers theorized that people who consume diet carbonated beverages do so because they are already overweight and/or have high cholesterol and therefore, they already have an increased risk for metabolic syndrome.

To set things straight: research studies suggest that the artificial sweeteners contained in diet soft drinks may be responsible for leading to weight gaining and health problems associated to metabolic syndrome, which leads to heart diseases. However, no matter what type of carbonated beverages people consume – regular or diet – it is certain that cutting back on consumption is the key for a healthy life. Carbonated beverages are full of empty calories that the body doesn’t get compensated for. Therefore, by reducing soft drink consumption the body is protected from gaining extra weight that may trigger symptoms of metabolic syndrome and get, in general, out of balance.