Regular soft drinks provide around 140 calories for every 12 oz. you consume. Removing one can of soda every day could result in about 1 lb. of weight loss a month. Simply switching to diet or no-calorie soft drinks may not be the answer to weight control, according to a Yale publication.
Obesity
According to Michael Jacobson, PhD, carbonated beverages provide about 7 percent of caloric intake, the largest individual source of calories in the American diet. Epidemiological studies have shown an association between soft drink consumption and weight gain and obesity. This is a problem not only for adults, but children and teens as well.
Other Health Risks
Obesity is not the only health risk shown to be associated with soft drink intake. A meta-analysis published in 2010 found an association between sugar-sweetened beverages, including soft drinks, and metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. A study published in the "Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology" found soft drink consumption was associated with fatty liver in individuals with no other risk factors. David Shoham and colleagues found a link between kidney disease and consumption of more than two soft drinks each day.
Weight Loss
A prospective study of 810 adults found that decreasing liquid calories led to a greater weight loss than decreasing calories from food. Individuals who decreased liquid calories by 100 calories a day lost more weight than subjects who decreased food intake by 100 calories per day. Reducing soda intake by as little as one serving a day can help with weight loss.
Non-caloric Sweeteners
There is a link between consumption of beverages sweetened with artificial or no-calorie sweeteners and weight gain, based on several large scale prospective studies. It is hypothesized that this is due to artificial sweeteners not completely satisfying the consumer, possibly leading to overeating at other times. Therefore, replacing regular sodas with diet soft drinks may decrease liquid calories but could lead to an increase in overall food intake and weight gain.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture: Nutrient Database
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Liquid Candy
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Reduction in Consumption of Sugar-sweetened Beverages is Associated with Weight Loss
- Diabetes Care: Sugar-sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis
- Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology: Soft Drink Consumption Linked with Fatty Liver in the Absence of Traditional Risk Factors
- PLoSOne.com: Sugary Soda Consumption and Albuminuria
Member Comments