Drinking Soda Might Be Making You Fat

Posted by Ben:

For those of us who have a few extra pounds weighing us down, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to pinpoint where we went wrong? Aside from the recent Holiday overload of sweets and treats (which I for sure enjoyed to the fullest when we were all snowbound with 20+ inches of snow), we may now actually have an answer. While there are several factors that come into play, researchers from UCLA have discovered that soda pop may be one of the most significant causes of obesity.

Researchers from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and California Center for Public Health Advocacy found through their study that adults who drink one soda or another sugary beverage each day up to 27 percent more likely to be overweight. The finding is based on data from more than 40,000 interviews collected in 2005 as part of a study entitled, “Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California.”
 

While the study focused on soda consumption in California, the findings can be applied nationwide. Even the senior vice president for science policy at the American Beverage Association, Dr. Maureen Storey, admitted that the study found a link between obesity and soda consumption. However, she stopped short of saying there is a definite cause-and-effect relationship.
 

"We drink soda like water," said Harold Goldstein of the Center for Public Health Advocacy. "But unlike water, soda serves up a whopping 17 teaspoons of sugar in every 20-ounce serving." On average, the typical American consumes 50 gallons of soda or other sugary drinks each year. For those who drink one a day, you’re taking in roughly 39 pounds of added sugar every year. No wonder we’ve become a nation where one out of every three adults is overweight!
 

I would also like to propose another connection. We are also a fast-food nation. When you go through the drive-through or stand in line and order your favorite "value meal," what do you get for a beverage? I know a lot of you probably make the healthy choice and stick with water, but if you take a look around at the other patrons eating their burgers and fries, I would bet that the overwhelming majority is also chugging down a massive amount of soda. I don't think we can blame soda by itself...our overall eating habits are to blame.
 

Regardless, if your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight this year, you now know one simple way to give yourself a pretty strong competitive advantage: cut out the soda. And if you think by choosing “diet” soda you’re doing yourself a favor, think again. The warnings about aspartame and other artificial sweeteners have been around for years, but in case you need a refresher, read Dr. Mercola’s article about the dangers of aspartame.

Posted by Ben