9/16/2011
According to the results of a new government investigation, hundreds of calories are added by sodas to a typical American diet. More than half of all Americans on most days drink different amounts of these sugary beverages. An average of 336 calories from sodas are being consumed daily by adults while the rate of consumption of kids are not that far behind.
These are just some of the findings of a research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This particular survey is broadly acknowledged by experts as the gold standard in food and beverage related consumer habits evaluation. The results were derived from more than 17,000 interviews that were made between 2005 and 2008.
A nutrition expert at the University of Vermont, Dr. Rachel Johnson, speaking on behalf of the American Heart Association (AHA), said, “Sugar-sweetened beverages are the number one single source of calories in the American diet and account for about half of all added sugars that people consume.” The group advises that people must not drink more than 36 ounces or around 450 calories of sugary drinks each week.
The result of the CDC study was released barely two weeks after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) withdrew its support of a proposal to exclude soda drinks from the food stamp program in New York. The proposal to keep out soda from New York’s food stamp program was championed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is also a known anti-smoking advocate.
