Soda Consumption and Obesity in America

Overview

Americans consume an excessive amount of sodas, loaded with sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and/or other sweeteners annually. Excessive intake of sodas and other sweetened drinks have been linked to the high incidence of obesity in the US. "The consumption of HFCS increased over 1000 percent between 1979 and 1990, paralleling the increase in obesity, according to the authors of an article in the March 2004 issue of AJCN.


Facing Your Soda Drinking Problem

To put it bluntly, excessive soda consumption is a major part of America’s obesity problem. Anyone who argues with that has his head deep in the sand. To prove the point, I challenge you to give up sodas for 6 weeks. If you succeed, you will be amazed at how easy it is to lose weight if you are overweight or obese. Case in point: In a recent 28-day challenge on the Dr. Oz (TV) Show, Dr. Roizen took the challenge and reported that he had lost 5 pounds by cutting out sodas. 

Can you give it up?

Frankly, I don’t think that many people will be up to the challenge. Call it habit. Call it addiction. Call it whatever you like. But if you are hooked on sodas; if you can't go a few days without having some, it is a habit that many people find hard to break.

The problem with drinking too much soda 

1) You are putting added sugars, which contributes to disease-causing inflammation in your body

2) You are consuming excessive amounts of phosphoric acid

3) You are adding empty calories which easily contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which in turn has been linked to the development of diabetes and a number of other chronic diseases

4) You are most likely eliminating foods that are necessary to give you the health-promoting, disease-preventing nutrients you need for optimum health

The Problem With Diet Sodas

Even if you drink so-called diet sodas, you are not doing your body any good. In case you have not heard, artificial sweeteners, known in the food industry as non-nutritive sweeteners, aren’t any better than the sugar or high fructose corn syrup found in regular sodas. In fact, recent studies suggest that artificial sweeteners fool your taste buds and alter your ability to control food intake. It stimulates insulin secretion, increases the feeling of hunger and leads to increased food intake. This obviously defeats the reason you used the artificial sweetener in the first place.

You only need to look around you to see that artificial sweeteners have done absolutely nothing to ease the obesity crisis. In fact, the increasing incidence of obesity has paralleled the increase in consumption of sodas, both sugar/high fructose corn syrup sweetened and artificially sweetened.

"The consumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group. HFCS now represents > 40% of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in soft drinks in the United States. Our most conservative estimate of the consumption of HFCS indicates a daily average of 132 kcal for all Americans aged 2 y, and the top 20% of consumers of caloric sweeteners ingest 316 kcal from HFCS/d." I was so struck by the referenced article - that I felt compelled to share this quote with you.


Summary

Sodas are bad for you. Remember that the next time you reach for a soda, ask yourself if you would be better off with a good old-fashioned glass of water. Want a little flavor in it? Squeeze a little juice from a lemon or lime and drink.

Resources
Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a r...ray et al. 79 (4):537 - - American Journal of /clinical Nutrition

The Truth About Sodas: High Fructose Corn Syrup and Other Sweeteners

Overview
If you drink sodas (soft drinks), either you are either getting a lot of calories from sugar or you are consuming an artificial sweetener of one kind or another, or you are getting your sweetener. So, what harm is there in enjoying a little sweet beverage, you might ask. Let's take a look.

High Fructose Corn Syrup 

The bulk of sweeteners used in sodas is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Many people believe that HFCS, which is made from genetically engineered corn is a responsible for the rapid increase in obesity in the United States. 

One of the most worrisome problem facing us is the fact that sodas containing HFCS has rapidly displaced more nutritious beverages, including milk and 100% fruit juice. As a result, Americans are getting more sugar and less of the important nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C that are needed for healthy growth, development and disease prevention.

Additionally, sodas contain a large amount of calories from HFCS. Each 12-ounce can of soda that you drink provides about 140 calories. That is the equivalent of about 8 teaspoons of sugar. In essence, essence, every time you drink a soda you are consuming empty calories. These empty calories can easily add up, resulting in obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

It is important to note that the increase obesity in this country has occurred over the same period that we have experienced a huge increase in the consumption of sodas containing high fructose corn syrup. 

Sugar 

While most of the sodas on the market today are sweetened with HFCS, you might find some that actually contain table sugar. Calorie-wise, there is no difference between the number of calories that you get from sugar and HFCS. However, there is ongoing debate about whether your body handles these two sugars, table sugar and HFCS, differently.  

While the scientists continue to debate the issue, you need to focus on avoiding sodas and other foods with any form of added sugars, in order to prevent unwanted weight gain and related health problems.

You can gain unwanted weight from drinking sodas with table sugar just as well as you can from drinking sodas with HFCS. You are also likely to experience other health problems, like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and high levels of triglycerides if you drink too much sugar sweetened soda. 

Other problems associated with a high intake of table sugar, as well as HFCS, include high levels of insulin in the blood, elevated blood glucose and inflammation. Inflammation is believed to be the cause of a number of chronic diseases.

Artificial Sweeteners

In a previous blog where I discussed “The Truth About Sodas,” I mentioned two artificial sweeteners, aspartame and acesulfame potassium. These sweeteners (chemical compounds) are made by combining two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine in the presence of an acid.

While these and other artificial sweeteners were developed to provide sweetness to food and drink without the calories, there has been ongoing controversy about the safety of these chemicals. 

One issue surrounding aspartame and acesulfame potassium is the health harm that could result to individuals with an inborn error of metabolism called phenylketonuria. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to a number of other health problems, as well. These will be discussed in a future blog. 

Although artificial sweeteners (aka sugar substitute and non-nutritive sweeteners) have been marketed as weight loss aids and as a substitute for sugar in diabetics. there is no evidence that these chemicals help in either case. To the contrary, the incidence of obesity, as well as diabetes, has climbed significantly since these products have been put on the market.

Summary

Sodas offer no real nutritional benefit to consumers and may, in fact, contribute to obesity and the risk of chronic disease. Therefore, to reduce those risks, you should avoid do your best to consumption of sodas, whether sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, sugar or artificial sweeteners. This is especially important if you are trying to lose weight or want to avoid becoming obese in the first place.

What Could We Do More To Fight Childhood Obesity?

Childhood obesity is a problem that affects children of all cultural, ethnic and racial persuasion. But some groups are affected more than others. According to the CDC, African American and Hispanic children are more likely to be overweight than children of other racial groups. This is particularly significant in Miami, Florida, where these two groups constitute a large percentage of the population.
Clearly, if we are to reverse this public health epidemic, we must develop strategies to address the unique circumstances that contribute to obesity in these particular groups..
Here are 5 simple things that you can do to keep your child from becoming overweight.

• Keep sodas out of the house. Although fruit juices contain some important nutrients, they are also high in sugar, so limit fruit juice to not more than 1 cup per day. Encourage your child to drink water when thirsty.
• Avoid purchasing foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. This sweetener is the source of a lot of added calories in the foods that children eat. So, it is safe to say that if you cut back on foods that are made with this sweetener, you could be eliminating a lot of the excess calories from your child's diet.
• Limit the amount of fast food that your child eats. Some fast food meals can provide from 50 percent to more than 100 percent of the fat, sugar and sodium that your child needs to eat in one day. 
• Get your child up and moving. Registered dietitians, pediatricians and other health-care professionals recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of exercise most days. This will help to burn calories and prevent unhealthy weight gain. Try to limit the amount of time that your child sits in front of the television or playing video games.
• Set a good example. Let your child see you eating the foods you want him to eat and make regular exercise a family affair.

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Dr. Dorene E. Carter is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant, specializing in child health and nutrition, with special emphasis on childhood obesity. Dr. Carter, who earned her PhD in nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley, is CEO of CHANA Project, the Child Health and Nutrition Access Project. To learn more, visit www.dailydietguide.com and www.chanaproject.org.