Sugary drinks. A hot and controversial topic getting some
attention from some political big wigs; Mayor Bloomberg of New York City has
tried, and at the moment is hitting roadblocks in trying to ban soda cups over 16oz (470ml) at New York restaurants, movie theatres, sport arenas and street
carts. However, state regulated establishments like 7-Eleven could continue to
sell their 50oz (1500ml) soda cups. Will citizens’ pound down this policy like
they would a 32oz (940ml) cup of Coke? Join us, as we pour over this sweet-as
topic.
There is an overwhelming amount of evidence linking consumption
of sugary beverages to development of type II diabetes, heart disease, becoming
overweight and obese, and a slew of related health problems.
In the US between the 1960s and 2010, obesity has almost
tripled to a hefty average of 35.9% of American adults.
The blanket term now used to describe full sugar soft
drinks, fruit drinks/juices and sport/energy drinks is ‘sugar sweetened
beverages’ (SSBs). Calorie intake from SSBs has increased by 135% between 1977
and 2001.
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A collection of 'sugar sweetened beverages' |
Research shows factors including: education level, household
income, geographic location, age and ethnicity are associated with SSB
consumption. For example, low-income and low-education individuals are more
likely to consume higher amounts of SSBs compared with their high-income and
high-education peers. Similarly, children of low-income and low-education
parents consumed higher SSBs compared to kids whose parents earn more and have
higher education levels. In this case, it’s not who you know, but how much you
know that can make a difference.
A study conducted in the Netherlands showed that providing
portion specific caloric information where soft drinks are purchased, had no
significant effect on size choice or amount of soft drink consumed. Conducting
similar studies in the US to investigate how American’s would respond to
displayed calorie information for soft drinks would be useful before
instituting policy changes. After all, banning 32oz (940ml, 380 calories) soda
cups isn’t banning customers from refilling their 16oz (470ml, 200 calories) cup.
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An example of displaying caloric information |
Will banning or restricting soda cup size help decrease
obesity and consumption of sugar filled sodas? More research is needed to say
definitively. But two things are for sure:
1. Publicity about this topic is spurring debates over the
importance of nutrition education, which in turn empowers people to make
healthier choices.
2. If you’re someone who likes regular soda, banning the
larger cup size isn’t going to stop you getting refills or going to 7-Eleven and
guzzling a Double Gulp down your pie hole.
Join us again next week as we
look at another kind of SSB and uncover the trends behind sport and energy
drinks.
As a side note, I’ve had some
requests to list possible alternatives to soda. The best, of course, is water.
If you’re one of those people who complain water is too ‘bland’, try adding
some lime or lemon. Diet and regular sodas are “sometimes” drinks, even though
diet drinks are void of calories and sugar, constant consumption of the chemicals they contain has negative
effects on bones.