[Guevara]

The average American drank slightly under two sodas per day.

Health advocates are cautiously optimistic about the decline. “It is really important because sugary soft drinks are the No. 1 source of calories in our diets,” said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “We get more calories from sodas and sugary drinks than any other individual food — cake, cookies, pizza, anything.”

What began as a slow decline accelerated in the middle of the last decade and now threatens some of the best-known brands in the business. Coke and Pepsi are relying more than ever on the “flat” drinks and bottled waters in their portfolios and on increases in the price of sodas, forcing die-hard drinkers to pay more to feed their sugar habits.

Not surprisingly, the country’s largest soda companies insist their carbonated soft drinks business will still grow, if not at as fast a clip as it has historically. “This is not a zero-sum game,” said Sandy Douglas, president of Coca-Cola North America. But even they concede that unless the industry stumbles upon what it calls the holy grail, an all-natural sweetener with no calories, the future is going to be more firmly anchored in noncarbonated drinks. “The health and wellness trend is huge, permanent and important,” Mr. Douglas said. “My crystal ball says that a smart beverage company will sell a variety of products, and some of them will have bubbles and some of them won’t.” Coca-Cola and its competitors have spent the last two decades decreasing their reliance on carbonated soft drinks anyway.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/bu...1&ref=business

[trineo_feo]

The average American drank slightly under two sodas per day.

That is crazy high.

[freenudemacusers]

number one source of calories? jesus, no wonder we are fat.

[Meier]

That is crazy high.

A soda is usually 12 ounces at a minimum with either 16 or 20 being fairly common. This chart seems to indicate 16 oz is the average now which would either be 1 or 1 1/3rd soda, wouldn't it?

[shira]

Free refills

[entrement]

It's not just the calories, but the damaging metabolic effects of fructose, the primary sweetener of these drinks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

[Stumpokapow]

I haven't had a soda in 5 years. Haven't had cola specifically in almost 9.

[True Underdog]

I've pretty much cut out sodas entirely since I moved into my new apartment in February. I still have the 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper that my dad bought when he helped me move in. I just keep it there as a reminder. I've had a few sodas before if I go out to eat with some friends and I don't feel like getting a beer or something but I have only had 4 or 5.

I could afford to cut back on alcohol, though...

[Avinexus]

The average American drank slightly under two sodas per day.

And here I thought I drank too much soda. I'm actually below average according to this.

EDIT: Actually, nevermind. The graph says it counts each "soda" as an 8-ounce serving, so basically one 20-ounce soda bottle counts as 2.x "sodas" on this graph. That's kinda misleading...you'd think they would use the average size of a soda can/bottle.

[demon]

Two pops per day? Madness!

That stuff is nothing but liquid candy.

[Guevara]

A soda is usually 12 ounces at a minimum with either 16 or 20 being fairly common. This chart seems to indicate 16 oz is the average now which would either be 1 or 1 1/3rd soda, wouldn't it?

Yeah the article is calling 8 oz of soda a serving (which is what it says on a 2 liter bottle, for example). A can of soda is 12 oz.

[Sentry]

If only we could get every american to drink two of these per day

[xxracerxx]

The average American drank slightly under two sodas per day.

Fuck. People really need to step back from this crap.

No wonder 50% of America will bleed soda by 2030.

[U n i o n 0015]

Jebus. I drink a soda a month, if that. Nothing quenches my thirst like water. If I need a sweet drink, it's usually iced tea.

[andycapps]

There's got to be some people out there slamming 4-6 of them to even out for the people like me that don't drink any at all. Then again, I'm in the minority, I'm sure.

[ToxicAdam]

You have wackos like me that drink 1 liter every day that throws off the averages.

[Synth_floyd]

I drink maybe 3-4 cans of soda per week. It's just liquid sugar. Juice is so much better.

[Divvy]

I wonder if the average went down after that one lady that drank 10 litres a day croaked.

[Zerokku]

The average American drank slightly under two sodas per day.

I have like two sodas a month. That number seems ridiculously high.

If I need a sweet drink, it's usually iced tea.

Yup. And even then its usually the "natural" stuff from the hi-health around the corner from my work. Seriously, Iced Tea > Soda any day.

[Shadow Hog]

I actually prefer to drink milk (skim or 2%) when it's available, honestly. But you don't get refills of that for free, and it can be kind of expensive at many restaurants... a few I go to don't even offer it. (Although one of those restaurants also has sodas that taste very off, so water or bust there.)

Juice, too, but the calorie content in that is comparable to sodas, isn't it?

I don't really like water, but I've been warming up to it over the past couple of years, so I guess there's always that. Has to be ice cold, though.

[Guevara]

I haven't had a soda in 5 years. Haven't had cola specifically in almost 9.

I recently cut down to one can a week. Feels good. I don't know if I could cut soda out entirely.

[RBH]

The average American drank slightly under two sodas per day.

Gross.

[Stealth Editor]

It's just liquid sugar. Juice is so much better.

Most juice is just liquid sugar too.

[FallingEdge]

That's a lot of soda.

[xxracerxx]

I drink maybe 3-4 cans of soda per week. It's just liquid sugar. Juice is so much better.

Depends solely on what type of juice you are drinking. Juice can be just as bad as soda.

I love me some mineral water though....Mmmmmm

[RubxQub]

I drink maybe 3-4 cans of soda per week. It's just liquid sugar. Juice is so much better.

Juice really isn't that much better... Just as many carbs with significantly lost nutrients from the whole fruit in the first place and no fiber to balance the sugar.

Stick to water or tea or coffee or diet drinks.

[AdrianWerner]

unless the industry stumbles upon what it calls the holy grail, an all-natural sweetener with no calories, the future is going to be more firmly anchored in noncarbonated drinks

Ermm..isn't it exactly what stevia is?

[EviLore]

Compared with consumption of high glucose beverages, drinking high fructose beverages with meals results in lower circulating insulin and leptin levels, and higher ghrelin levels after the meal.[61] Since leptin and insulin decrease appetite and ghrelin increases appetite, some researchers suspect that eating large amounts of fructose increases the likelihood of weight gain.[62]

Soda, #1 source of calories in the U.S. diet.

[Wthermans]

I need to cut out soda. I love my Mt. Dew and Dr. Pepper though. Been drinking more water though. Usually about 12oz of soda to 16oz of water per day now.

[Messypandas]

I have one drop of soda every 10 years

[Sadsic]

I haven't had a soda in 5 years. Haven't had cola specifically in almost 9.

theres a difference?

[Heel]

There's got to be some people out there slamming 4-6 of them to even out for the people like me that don't drink any at all. Then again, I'm in the minority, I'm sure.

Yeah, that's the disturbing part in all of this.

[shinobi602]

Juice is nowhere near as bad as soda, you guys are nuts.

Real juice is nutritious and good for you, and has natural sugars.

Soda contains caffeine, carbonic acid, refined sugars, and worst of all, phosphoric acid which actually deteriorates your bone density and destroy vitamins and minerals. The phosphoric acid destroys Vitamin D and can make your bones brittle and lead to osteoperosis.

Does juice do all that?

[GK86]

Best thing I did last year was to stop drinking the stuff.

[Mr. Serious Business]

I chalk this up to the growth of energy drinks and juices (Red Bull, Monster, Naked Juice, etc.). They're still full of sugar anyways.

[TheLastCandle]

When I even walk into a room containing soda I spontaneously combust.

[Mumei]

I haven't had a soda in 5 years. Haven't had cola specifically in almost 9.

Did you make a conscious decision to stop, or did it just sort of happen?

[Zoe]

If I need a sweet drink, it's usually iced tea.

If I add just the tiniest bit of sugar to tea, it becomes too sweet to me. I think the carbonation in soda makes a big difference.

[RubxQub]

Juice is nowhere near as bad as soda, you guys are nuts. Real juice is nutritious and good for you, and has natural sugars. Soda contains caffeine, carbonic acid, refined sugars, and worst of all, phosphoric acid which actually deteriorates your bone density and destroy vitamins and minerals. The phosphoric acid destroys Vitamin D and can make your bones brittle and lead to osteoperosis. Does juice do all that?

Juice = high sugar with greatly reduced nutrients from the whole fruit + next to none of the fiber from the whole fruit to slow the sugar down.

From a pure fat-gain/fat-loss perspective, juice can be just as bad as soda without question.

Juice also has been reported to have higher amounts of arsenic in it over drinking water and the industry says that juice and water shouldn't be held to the same standards so it's cool.

So is juice as bad as soda? It can be. I think what makes it worse is when people try and pretend that it's a healthy thing to consume when in reality it's hurting them just as bad.

[demon]

I chalk this up to the growth of energy drinks and juices (Red Bull, Monster, Naked Juice, etc.). They're still full of sugar anyways.

Leave my Naked Juice alone! Love that stuff.

[LyleLanley]

Is this the thread where I get to tell everyone how rarely I drink soda?

I don't drink soda very often.

[Stumpokapow]

theres a difference?

Root beer, cream soda, lemon-lime soda versus actual cola

Did you make a conscious decision to stop, or did it just sort of happen?

Dentist said to stop, and even though I've basically never listened to a dentist before in my life, that one just stuck with me. Maybe he hypnotised me?

And then a few years later someone pointed out that other sodas do basically the same thing as cola, so I just cut out those as well.

Beforehand I had soda with every meal, so probably around 16oz or more a day

[Tunavi]

dont drink soda, people

[shinobi602]

Juice = high sugar with greatly reduced nutrients from the whole fruit + next to none of the fiber from the whole fruit to slow the sugar down. From a pure fat-gain/fat-loss perspective, juice can be just as bad as soda without question. Juice also has been reported to have higher amounts of arsenic in it over drinking water and the industry says that juice and water shouldn't be held to the same standards so it's cool. So is juice as bad as soda? It can be. I think what makes it worse is when people try and pretend that it's a healthy thing to consume when in reality it's hurting them just as bad.

From a weight perspective, yes you can definitely gain weight by drinking juice all the time. I wasn't talking about juice from the store anyway, I juice my fruits. You barely lose any of the nutrients, if any, besides the fiber in skins of some of the fruit.

But it will not have the deteriorating effects on your body that sodas do.

[xxracerxx]

Juice is nowhere near as bad as soda, you guys are nuts. Real juice is nutritious and good for you, and has natural sugars. Soda contains caffeine, carbonic acid, refined sugars, and worst of all, phosphoric acid which actually deteriorates your bone density and destroy vitamins and minerals. The phosphoric acid destroys Vitamin D and can make your bones brittle and lead to osteoperosis. Does juice do all that?

[Flying_Phoenix]

I haven't had a soda in 5 years. Haven't had cola specifically in almost 9.

Outside of Diet and occasional havings at restaurants this is true for me too.

I mean it makes you MORE thirsty. That's like eating food that makes you more hungry. I don't get it.

He said juice not shitty orange drink.

Juice = high sugar with greatly reduced nutrients from the whole fruit + next to none of the fiber from the whole fruit to slow the sugar down. From a pure fat-gain/fat-loss perspective, juice can be just as bad as soda without question. Juice also has been reported to have higher amounts of arsenic in it over drinking water and the industry says that juice and water shouldn't be held to the same standards so it's cool. So is juice as bad as soda? It can be. I think what makes it worse is when people try and pretend that it's a healthy thing to consume when in reality it's hurting them just as bad.

This seems to be something very divided by nutritionists.

[Mike M]

I'll maybe drink a couple cans over the course of a day (mostly at home, at work I stick to water and occasionally tea), but I'm at least sticking to diet sodas.

I tend to drink quite a bit, if I drank drinks with actual caloric value I'd probably be dead by now...

[Tunavi]

Juice = high sugar with greatly reduced nutrients from the whole fruit + next to none of the fiber from the whole fruit to slow the sugar down. From a pure fat-gain/fat-loss perspective, juice can be just as bad as soda without question. Juice also has been reported to have higher amounts of arsenic in it over drinking water and the industry says that juice and water shouldn't be held to the same standards so it's cool. So is juice as bad as soda? It can be. I think what makes it worse is when people try and pretend that it's a healthy thing to consume when in reality it's hurting them just as bad.

what about this stuff?

good or bad?

[shintoki]

Had soda three times this year, went to the movies three times this year. Coincidence? :O

Once it gets out of your system, you no longer have the taste for it.

[shinobi602]

Still doesn't have carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, or caffeine.