Strong Evidence Links Soft Drink Consumption To Obesity, Diabetes

Strong Evidence Links Soft Drink Consumption To Obesity, Diabetes: "Strong Evidence Article Also Appears In Diabetes Nutrition / Diet


The case against swigging soda just got stronger. A large systematic review reveals clear associations between consumption of nondiet soft drinks and increased calorie intake and body weight.

Full-calorie soft drinks are also linked with reduced intake of milk and fruit and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. 'Recommendations to reduce population soft drink consumption are strongly supported by the available science,' concludes the review of 88 studies.

The American Beverage Association, however, presents a different view on its Web site. 'It is not feasible to blame any one food product or beverage as being a sole contributor to obesity …. No science supports such a claim.'

Carbonated soft drinks are the single largest source of calories in the American diet, according to a 2005 report called 'Liquid Candy,' produced by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Companies annually manufacture enough soda pop to provide more than 52 gallons to every man, woman and child in the United States.

'Nobody claims there is a single cause to the obesity problem, but the existing science certainly puts soft drinks in the list of leading contributors,' said review co-author Kelly Brownell, Ph.D. He is director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University."