| |||
 | |||
Despite the increases in childhood obesity in the United States, Americans are technically consuming less sugar than they did about a decade earlier, according to a new report.
And two-thirds of this decrease is due to people drinking fewer sugar-sweetened sodas.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that the percentage of our diets that is comprised of sugar dropped from 18 percent between 1999 and 2000 to 14.6 percent between 2007 and 2008.
"We were surprised to see that there was a substantial reduction over the years," study researcher Dr. Jean Welsh, of Emory University in Atlanta, told Reuters.
Researchers analyzed data from a study of 42,316 people ages 2 and older to see how much added sugar -- that is, sugars that are not naturally included in foods, like fruit -- they consumed.
People consumed about 100 grams of added sugar a day during 1999 to 2000, while they consumed 77 grams of added sugar a day during 2007 to 2008, Reuters reported.
But while this study shows that we're technically consuming less sugar, that doesn't mean that the total amount we consume is low. An American Heart Association statement in 2009 said that Americans consume the equivalent of 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, with teens consuming 34 teaspoons a day.
18 hours ago (4:26 PM)
HFCS is metabolized in the liver not the gut, bad, bad, bad!
19 hours ago (4:16 PM)
It’s a good thing that people finally are catching on to the fact that "Diet" sodas are actually worse for you than non-"Diet."
Instead of switching back to the sugared versions, they’re forgoing it completely.
19 hours ago (4:12 PM)
True, and it’s in almost everything…even things you’d never think of as sweet. That’s where the danger is…unrecognized sugars that you really don’t even enjoy.
19 hours ago (4:06 PM)
Kind of a misleading headline, as a lot of the sweetner in the foods that Americans eat is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, not sugar. Which is only good for the food producers. Not so much for your health.
14 hours ago (8:26 PM)
Make mine just plain water. If I’m out to eat it’s water with a slice of lemon. Now don’t don’t start…I know they say don’t take lemon when you’re out to eat because the lemon probably hasn’t been washed and it’s covered with bacteria. It hasn’t killed me yet and it’s one of my few vices.
18 hours ago (4:25 PM)
Hate sodas and diet’s even worse. Tejava tea is refreshing and it has as the Australians say, "no worries mate".
14 hours ago (8:24 PM)
A few months ago my dentist told me my teeth were just too good. He said "You’ve got to start drinking soda or energy drinks…you’re going to put me out of business."
19 hours ago (4:17 PM)
As a child, we got soda pop a few times a year at most.
Damn 7-11 for inventing Big Gulps.
Dentists should be paying them a franchise fee.
19 hours ago (4:08 PM)
I can’t remember the last time bought a big bottle of Coke. Had one with a slice of pizza the other day but even pizza is rare for me these days. I work out now and except for the occasional glass/bottle of wine with a video game I have given up all my vices. I enjoy food. Nothing better than the euphoria you get with a full belly or after a good workout. Soda is too many empty calories. It’s still a nice treat every now and then.
19 hours ago (4:11 PM)
Not here I’m gulping cokes down more than ever. Of course I also quit drinking
18 hours ago (4:41 PM)
I don’t drink soda (except for club soda) because I don’t have a real taste for it.
It’s all too sickenly sweet for me.
I have plenty of other vices to compensate.
18 hours ago (4:32 PM)
There’s nothing wrong with not drinking it, it’s just the people who love to shout from the rooftops how they don’t drink it. Whenever people get that attitude about it, the kind that just drips with snobbery. I’m sure you’ve seen it before, but in regards to different things maybe.
it just makes me think "Well, it’s so kind of a supreme being such as yourself to grace us mortals with your divine presence."
18 hours ago (4:23 PM)
I stopped drinking soda a while ago because all the high fructose corn syrup and it’s effects on the liver. It’s just a personal choice. I don’t get the appeal of it anymore, but if you wanna drink it, go for it.
18 hours ago (4:28 PM)
EXACTLY!
Look, if you don’t enjoy TV and go about entertaining yourselves in some other way, that’s fine. It’s the ATTITUDE that I can do without.
19 hours ago (4:20 PM)
kind of like the "I don’t watch TV" crowd
19 hours ago (4:12 PM)
Good, maybe we’ll get fewer people smugly saying how they never drink soda.
"Oh, I NEVER drink soda, it’s terrible for you!"
Well, ain’t that special? Let me guess, you also never use profanity and your bodily waste, instead of giving off a foul odor, is the delightful bouquet of peppermint and jasmine.
19 hours ago (3:38 PM)
and still, we are as fat as ever.
19 hours ago (4:19 PM)
I hope you’re not addicted to caffeine as well >_
19 hours ago (3:40 PM)
I have cut down on soda a LOT. I have one occasionally but now I drink a ton of water and Citron Perrier.
11 hours ago (12:17 AM)
True, but it’s an artificial sweetener.
*
19 hours ago (4:19 PM)
1/3 of pop is diet and therefore has only artificial sugar.
19 hours ago (3:41 PM)
Sugar or high fructose corn syrup? Pop is high fructose corn syrup.
*
19 hours ago (4:21 PM)
Theres a lot of sugar in both juices.
19 hours ago (4:18 PM)
Whats with the carbonated water? Why not drink applejuice or cranberry juice?
19 hours ago (3:41 PM)
A few months ago i decided to stop drinking all pop, regular and diet. Switched to carbonated water with some lime or lemon juice added.
Don’t even miss pop.
19 hours ago (4:17 PM)
Ya and minus all the hormones. People wonder why they can’t drink American milk, its not lactoseintolerance its hormoneintolerance.
19 hours ago (3:49 PM)
Still cheaper than a gallon of skim milk I reckon.
19 hours ago (3:46 PM)
This is also due to the gradual price increase. I used to always buy 2-liters and have them on hand when the averaged $.99. Now that the average price is much more, I guit buying them completely.
19 hours ago (3:46 PM)
I have cut down on the sodas myself, only having them when I go out for dinner or special occassions. I am lucky my kids don`t like colas at all. For some reason the don`t like anything with bubbles in it. I lucked out there and they don`t drink any of them…
19 hours ago (3:48 PM)
Good to read.
I have always argued that soda is way more of a health nuisance than fast food restaurants. I always give this as an example:
How long would it take for you to find a merchant that sells soda or a soda vending machine as you walk (or waddle) down the sidewalk in a non-residential area of any city or town? Not very far, I would expect.
In my city, soda can be found in every gas station, coffee shop, convenience store, grocery store, pharmacy, hospital and ironically, health clubs. I suspect it’s the same all over the USA.
I can walk for blocks and blocks and not run into a Mickey D’s, BK lounge or KFC, but it takes NO great distance to score a cola.