November 18, 2005
On this very day last year, med students in the U.S. encouraged people to boycott soda during National No Soda Day.
Read more for context.
Kids who down soda at the rate SUVs guzzle gas are more likely to gain weight, though there's still no actual proof that the excess calories coming from "unnecessary, non-nutricious calories" leads to obesity. But as a two-year case study on the soda consumption habits of 12-year old kids would show, "the risk of obesity increased 1.6 times."
What's in soda anyway?
Well, teens in Americans certainly pick the pop over milk. Here in the Philippines, our soft drink consumption is measured by an increase in sales of almost 12% in volume terms last year compared to the previous year, which was under 11%. What drove this up? Why, CARBONATES, of course!
This whole soda-causes-obesity brouhaha wouldn't be complete with quips from certain advocacy groups who are "promoting personal responsibility and protecting consumer choice" by lobbying to protect the interests of the big bad corporations. Their battlecry? Junk science!
So what happened this year? Your guess is as good as mine.
The goal of National No Soda Day is to draw attention to the obesity issue and the detriment to health such "liquid candy" brings, said Lenny Lesser, a third-year UR [University of Rochester] medical student and the American Medical Student Association's national coordinator in charge of getting schools involved in this first-ever event.
Read more for context.
Kids who down soda at the rate SUVs guzzle gas are more likely to gain weight, though there's still no actual proof that the excess calories coming from "unnecessary, non-nutricious calories" leads to obesity. But as a two-year case study on the soda consumption habits of 12-year old kids would show, "the risk of obesity increased 1.6 times."
What's in soda anyway?
The average 12-ounce (360 ml.) can of soda pop contains about 40 grams of refined sugars. That's 10 teaspoons of pure calories. Would you ever eat 10 teaspoons of sugar at once?
Well, teens in Americans certainly pick the pop over milk. Here in the Philippines, our soft drink consumption is measured by an increase in sales of almost 12% in volume terms last year compared to the previous year, which was under 11%. What drove this up? Why, CARBONATES, of course!
Consumers in the Philippines, who demonstrated one of the highest per capita consumption levels of carbonates in Asia throughout the review period, continued to exhibit a strong preference for carbonates in 2004. The Filipino hospitality culture supports demand for carbonates, which are top of the list of drinks for consumption during family meals and snacks, or for quenching guests' thirst. These products are further supported by the presence of neighbourhood stores, which sell them at affordable prices.
This whole soda-causes-obesity brouhaha wouldn't be complete with quips from certain advocacy groups who are "promoting personal responsibility and protecting consumer choice" by lobbying to protect the interests of the big bad corporations. Their battlecry? Junk science!
So what happened this year? Your guess is as good as mine.
Labels: health
