The Cold Hard Facts about Soft Drinks

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Australians are getting fatter – with as many as one in four Australian children now considered overweight or obese. It also seems we're getting thirstier – for soft drink, that is. In 2003 alone, Australians consumed 110 litres of soft drink each. That's the equivalent of a can per day each.

Courtesy of Clean Food Organic.

Soft drink consumption is now considered as a contributing factor in the development of obesity in Australian and New Zealand children. Research has also shown that soft drink consumption can increase the risk of diabetes and other health problems. The link between soft drinks and child obesity has also been shown in the US, where research has shown that:

a) Over the past 50 years soft drink consumption in the US has increased 500% per capita – now representing the largest single source of calories in the American diet.

b) 50% of Americans consume soft drinks every day

c) Between 1991 and 1995 alone, consumption increased by 40% and even more for teenage boys, who now drink nearly 600ml a day the equivalent of 15 teaspoons of sugar

d) This increase in soft drink consumption is considered at least partly to blame for the doubling of childhood obesity rates in the last 15 years – as every extra glass or can of soft drink that a child consumes on a daily basis, increases the likelihood of being obese 1.6 times.

Aside from the sugar content, the link between childhood obesity and soft drinks may be complicated by a number of factors. For example, scientists know that children who regularly consume soft drink also consume significantly more calories in their daily diet than kids who don’t. This may be because soft drinks tend to be consumed at the same time as other junk foods. Or because children who drink lots of soft drinks also have little restraint when it comes to other unhealthy items.

There is also suggestion that sugar may directly affect a child’s metabolism – through causing a spike in their insulin levels that leads them to feel hungrier, or by suppressing other hormones that normally trigger feelings of fullness.

And if kids are getting fatter, they are also getting unhealthier. In particular they are increasing their risk of diabetes in later life. Adults who drink a lot of soft drink also increase the risk of becoming diabetic. After eight years of drinking just one soft drink a day, the risk of diabetes increases by as much as 80%.

In replacing more nutritious options such as dairy products, soft drinks may also have an impact on the bone health of children. The growing years are critical for the laying down of a healthy and stable bone matrix, so calcium deficiency at this time is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Statistics show that in the 1970’s, American boys consumed twice as much milk as soft drink. However by 1996, soft drink outranked milk by two to one. Bone health may be further compromised if the drink of choice contains phosphoric acid or caffeine, which are believed to contribute to low bone density.

Other nasties in soft drink include colours and artificial flavours, which may cause allergic reactions in some people, or contribute to attention deficit disorders in others. Weight conscious consumers are increasingly switching to artificially sweetened options, which means consumption of compounds such as aspartame and acesulfame K has also risen exponentially. In spite of assurances from health authorities around the world that these compounds are safe, these sweeteners remain controversial and widespread suspicions about their safety persist.

It is unrealistic to expect that soft drinks are to be completely eliminated from most diets, and over the last few years some healthy organic soft drinks alternatives have become available. Unlike conventional soft drink, they contain no artificial colours, flavourings or dubious artificial sweeteners. Instead, your body and taste buds will thank you for the inclusion of real fruit and fruit juices, and flavoursome culinary and medicinal herbs.