Mya Nelson
Almost half of Americans drink sugar-sweetened drinks daily, with men consuming close to 200 calories per day from sugary drinks, finds a government report released today.
The survey was conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – you can see the report here. Overall, the report found that men take in an average of 175 calories from sugar drinks on any given day, while women take in 94 calories. (A 12-ounce can of soda has 140 calories.)
Here are some of the report’s key highlights:
- About one-half of Americans consume sugary drinks on any given day
- About 25 percent consume less than 200 calories from sugary drinks daily; 5 percent take in at least 567 calories
- Blacks and Mexican Americans both consume more sugary drinks than whites
In this new CDC survey, sugar-sweetened drinks include fruit drinks (not 100% fruit juice), sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sweetened bottled waters. Researchers pulled data from a large national health survey abbreviated NHANES.
For cancer prevention, AICR recommends people avoid sugary drinks. AICR’s expert report and its updates concluded that regularly consuming sugary drinks leads to weight gain, and extra body fat is linked to increased risk of seven different cancers.
Many health organizations, such as the American Heart Association, have recommended Americans reduce their sugar intake. And sugary drinks is one place to start. But for many sugary-soda lovers, it can be a hard habit to break. If anyone has weaned themselves off sugar-sweetened drinks, please share how.
