The youth targeted by sugary drinks companies are the 1st generation of Americans expected to live shorter lives than their parents due to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.(1)

Sugar consumption has tripled over the past 50 years.(2)

At the same time, the rates of obesity, [type 2] diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases have skyrocketed.(3)

Sugary drinks account for nearly 40% of added sugar in the American diet.(4)

Just one 12-ounce soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar — more than the recommended daily maximum for adults and more than 3 times the recommended daily maximum for kids.(5)

Soda and other sugary drinks are the #1 source of calories in the American diet.(6)

Drinking just 1 sugary drink a day can lead to cavities, obesity, [type 2] diabetes and other health problems.(7)

Want more information about sugary drinks and health? Go to Choose Healthy Drinks

 

Sources:

  1. http://loyolamedicine.org/childrenshospital/newswire/news/life-expectancy-us-children-cut-short-obesity The Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital at Loyola University
  2. “The Public Burden of Liquid Candy: The Costs of Sugared Beverages in San Francisco,” San Francisco Department of Public Health, 2009
  3. http://www.kickthecan.info/fast-facts
  4. Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2012
  5. Wang YC, Coxson P, Shen YM, Goldman L, Bibbins-Domingo K. A penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would cut health and cost burdens of diabetes. Health Aff (Millwood). 2012;31(1):199-207.
  6. Reedy, J. & Krebs-Smith, S. M. (2010). Dietary sources of energy, solid fats, and added sugars among children and adolescents in the United States. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(10), 1477-1484.
  7. http://www.sugarscience.org/