Soda: The Biggest Food Group?
The US Food Policy blog has gathered together some startling evidence of our love affair with drinks in a can... It seems that there are a large group of teenagers out there whose diet consists of 30% soda or fruit drink.
...And a quarter of all teens drink as many as four cans a day, each one containing about 150 calories."That's a lot of calories. That's 600 calories," Murray says. "That's like an additional meal." For a teenage girl, who should be eating around 1,800 calories a day, he adds, "that's a third of her daily energy requirement taken in the form of just one food, soft drinks."
That's enough to put a huge smile on the face of any soft drink manufacturer. What kind of money is involved when a food product (of questionable or even no nutritional value) has this much of a following?
What is it about these drinks that cause some people to drink 4 cans a day? Convenience? Addiction? Or some sort of monstrous subconscious brand loyalty?
You raise some important questions as to why people gulp down 4 cans of sofr drinks a day.
In doing research (and interviewing more than 250 scientists, etc.) for the past 3 years for my upcoming book, SUGAR SHOCK!, I learned that a combination of factors play into why people worldwide get hooked on soda and other sugary foods and beverages.
Yes, absolutely, convenience, (subconsciously inculcated) brand loyalty, and addiction do contribute heavily.
Folks also turn to sweets because of peer pressure and the fact that sugary foods are associated with love.
Furthermore, by downing so many sugary drinks and foods, people tend to cause their blood sugar levels to rise rapidly (and unnaturally), but hours later, these blood sugar levels plummet, so people clamor for yet another soda or sugary drink "fix" to raise them again and feel "bettter." (Talk about a vicious circle sugar situation.)
Terribly sad, isnt' it?
Great blog, by the way. I got recommended by Adam at Diet King, and I'm glad I found it! Thanks for the great posts.
Connie
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Great insights. I'm sure the psychology of soda must run deep.
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