Fact Sheets
Sugary beverages are having a negative effect on the nutritional health of Americans. Soda, energy drinks and sports drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the average American's diet, and a significant contributor of empty calories.1 Between 1977 and 2001 Americans' daily calorie consumption increased by 250-300 calories,2 nearly half of which (43%) came from sugary drinks alone.3 So it's not surprising that there is solid scientific evidence indicating a strong link between sugary drink consumption and obesity.3 And, it turns out that calories in liquid form do not trigger the same feeling of satiation (fullness) as those from solid foods. As a result the calories we drink add to those we eat, rather than replace them. Adults who drink one soda or more daily are 27% more likely to be overweight or obese.5 For each additional soda a child drinks, his or her risk of obesity goes up 60%.6 Find further information about sugary drinks in the fact sheets below.
Kick the Can Fact Sheets
- The Health Consequences of Sugar Sweetened Beverages
- How Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Became a Leading Contributor to the Obesity Epidemic
- Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Young Children
- Overweight and Obesity
- Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Satiety
- Water and Sports Drinks
Yale Rudd Center Fact Sheets
1. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2010.
2. Guthrie JF, Morton JF. Food sources of added sweeteners in the diets of Americans. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2000; 100:43-51.
3. Woodward-Lopez G, Kao J, Ritchie L. To what extent have sweetened beverages contributed to the obesity epidemic? Public Health Nutrition. 2011; 14(3):499-509.
4. DiMeglio DP, Mattes RD. Liquid versus solid carbohydrate: effects on food intake and body weight. International Journal of Obesity. 2000; 24: 794-800.
5. Babey SH, Jones M, Yu H, Goldstein H. Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 2009.
6. Ludwig DS, Peterson KE, Gortmaker SL. Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet 2001; 357: 505-08.