It always amazes me when I am shopping and I see the stacks of 12 packs of soda that many parents are buying for their families. At only $5 for 24 cans it is cheap. I think soda is also the leading cause of obesity in children too. To be a 3%'er you have to kick the habit of reaching for a soda all the time. Get it out of your home!
Teenagers who drink more soda have more mental health difficulties, including hyperactivity and mental distress, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health.
They found that the teenagers who drank the most soda (an average of four or more glasses a day) scored highest on measures of behavioral difficulties, hyperactivity, mental distress and overall mental health problems.
Nutritionist Mike Adams, author of The Five Soft Drink Monsters, a book that teaches people how to kick the soda habit, said, "It is very clear that diet strongly impacts mood, mental function and behavior. Drinking liquid sugars or artificial chemical sweeteners is much like poison to the human body, and it causes an imbalance in the functioning of the body and mind."
Adams added, "Most children diagnosed with ADHD are actually suffering from severe nutritional imbalances that can be easily corrected through changes in diet."
According to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest -- called "Liquid Candy" -- the average soda consumption among teenage males between ages 13 and 18 who drink soda is three or more cans a day, and 10% drink seven or more cans a day.
Of 13- to 18-year-old girls who drink the beverages, the average intake is more than two cans a day, and 10% of those teenagers drink more than five cans a day. CSPI officials are calling for reforms to lower soda consumption, "including more water fountains, soda-free schools, and health-education campaigns funded by state taxes on soda, according to a statement.
Those numbers are amazing to me. Parents stock it at the home, most schools have it available everywhere, and almost every "meal" option at every fast food place has a 24 oz. or bigger soda with the meal.
A story in the WSJ said most US bottlers are to begin offering a 16 oz. size vs. the typical 20 oz. A Pepsi spokesman was quoted saying, "the move is about giving consumers more choices, and if that leads to more frequent transactions and greater volume, it's also a win for our customers, our bottlers and us."
What a joke that is! Maybe it has to do with declining US sales - off 3.5% in the first quarter. Some are wising up and realizing drinking soda is horrible for you and your kids. You probably saw the story about diet soda will work to make you fat! If you missed it, check it out here >
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4271246&page=1
Take a stand for you and your family - get the soda out of the house. Complain to your school to get it thrown out!