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Surprising facts about the health hazards of drinking too much soda. Brought to you by the Albany County Department of Health.
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Soda Facts
- In 2001, Americans spent over $60 billion on carbonated soft drinks.
- During the same year, the average American consumed approximately 53 gallons of soft drinks.
- Sales of carbonated soft drinks have grown by 2-3 percent annually.
- The U.S. market includes nearly 450 different soft drinks.
- One of every four beverages consumed in America today is a soft drink.
- The average child drinks over 500 cans of soda a year.
- Soda leaches calcium from bones, an alarming fact since osteoporosis is reaching epidemic proportions.
- Globally, carbonated soft drinks are the third most consumed beverage.
- The per-capita, annual consumption of carbonated soft drinks (7.7 gallons) is nearly 4 times the per-capita consumption of fruit beverages (2.1 gallons).
- During the late 1950’s the typical soft drink order at a fast food restaurant contained about eight ounces of soda; today a “child” order of soda is usually 12 ounces. A large soda is thirty two ounces and about 310 calories (source: Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation, 2001)
- The average 12 ounce can of soda contains about 40 grams of refined sugars. That’s 10 teaspoons of pure calories. At 500 cans per year that's more than 62 pounds of sugar from soda alone.
- According to the USDA, 25 years ago, teenagers drank almost twice as much milk as soda. Today they drink twice as much soda as milk.
- Coca Cola spent $204 million in 2000 for advertising (source: CSPI)
Unless otherwise stated, the information above came from the Soft Drink Association and, or the Beverage Digest.
Soda’s Hidden Hazard
Besides being high in sugar and low on nutrition, soda also may harm growing bones.
Researchers have found that teen girls who regularly drink carbonated beverages, have nearly three times the risk of bone fractures of girls who don’t drink soda at all.
Drink water, 1%t or fat free milk, and 100% juices more often... and soda only as an occasional beverage.
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