Draining soda's impact: Less sugar a sweeter solution

Efforts to limit the availability of sweetened drinks -- especially for young people -- are gaining attention in the fight against obesity.

Editorial. June 26, 2006.

A 12-ounce can of regular soda tallies 140 calories. That's a lot. Those cans quickly add up, and those calories typically come from sugars and high-fructose corn syrup. In other words, the nutritional return on this caloric investment is not a positive one.

It is not surprising, then, that research supports a relationship between consumption of these sugary beverages and rising obesity rates. These figures -- especially among children -- mark one of the most disturbing public health problems the nation faces.

That's why the American Medical Association has policy urging schools to promote the availability of nutritious beverages as healthy alternatives to such drinks. The Association views it as an important part of children's education about good nutrition -- an understanding that can lead to life-long healthy eating habits.

It's also why recent actions designed to move toward this objective deserve notice. These efforts won't be easy, but they are critical in the context of certain trends.

During the 1970s, for instance, teens consumed nearly twice as much milk as they did soda pop, according to an AMA Board of Trustees report slated for consideration at this month's House of Delegates meeting. Twenty years later, those figures have flipped. Teens now drink twice as much soda.

The report also notes Dept. of Agriculture statistics indicating that, between 1989 and 1996, children's caloric intake increased by approximately 80 to 230 calories per day, with soft drinks being a key driver. One study even reported data showing the odds of a child becoming obese increased 60% for each additional can or glass of sugar-sweetened drink he or she drank daily.