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Soda, sweet drinks main source of calories in U.S.
Science Blog ^ | 2005-05-27 15:37.

Posted on 06/14/2005 6:52:33 PM PDT by Nov3

Tufts researchers recently reported that while the leading source of calories in the average American diet used to be from white bread, that may have changed. Now, according to preliminary research conducted by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Americans are drinking these calories instead. The research was presented in abstract form at the Experimental Biology Conference in April of this year and a more comprehensive paper is being developed.

Odilia Bermudez, PhD, MPH, studied the reported diets of a large nationwide sample of American adults. Among respondents to the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), more than two thirds reported drinking enough soda and/or sweet drinks to provide them with a greater proportion of daily calories than any other food. In addition, obesity rates were higher among these sweet drink consumers. Consumers of 100% orange juice and low fat milk, on the other hand, tended to be less overweight, on average.

Bermudez, who is also an assistant professor at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, is hopeful that, "by helping to identify the main sources of excess energy in the American diet, this work may contribute to the development of much-needed strategies to combat obesity in the American public."

"These results are startling," she continued, "and indicate that we need a much better understanding of how the American diet has changed. Our paper will look more closely at the issue of sweet drink consumption and its relation to obesity factors among three of the main ethnic groups included in the national surveys: African Americans, Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites."


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: atkins; cornsyrup; highfructose; lowcarb
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To: dread78645
Coke is coming out with a new product "Coca Cola Zero" by the end of the month.

Unfortunately, it looks like Coca Cola Zero still has aspartame in it, along with the Splenda. Coke must have signed an oath in blood that NutraSweet would be in all of their diet products forever.

I'll stick to Diet Rite cola - or Boylan Sugar Cane cola when I occasionally want the real stuff. ;)

41 posted on 06/15/2005 6:13:16 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ("Violence never settles anything." Genghis Khan, 1162-1227)
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To: Nov3
more than two thirds reported drinking enough soda and/or sweet drinks to provide them with a greater proportion of daily calories than any other food.

Last Thanksgiving, I saw my 16-year-old nephew go through a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi (3000 calories?) and half a blueberry pie. Believe it or not, he's a fat pig.

42 posted on 06/15/2005 6:13:20 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: Koblenz
Some don't taste so good, but diet Cherry Coke, diet Lime Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper, Fresca and the Hansen's fruit sodas are all decent.

I'm partial to lime diet Coke and diet Dr. Pepper myself. Is that a bad thing?

43 posted on 06/15/2005 6:15:44 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: Centurion2000

Juices are not remotely as healthy as whole fruits. They are little better than sodas, all commercials aside.


44 posted on 06/15/2005 6:16:19 AM PDT by ko_kyi
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To: Clintonfatigued

I quit having a Coke every morning during Lent and it almost kills me.


45 posted on 06/15/2005 6:17:01 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: Born to Conserve
way different animals. HFCS was invented by the Japanese in the 1950's or 1960's and championed by Acher Daniel Midlands and the other giant food comglomerates... it has a strange effect on our bodies appetite machinery and is a main contibutor to US obesity.

natural orange juice doesn't have the same effect...

46 posted on 06/15/2005 6:20:58 AM PDT by chilepepper (The map is not the territory -- Alfred Korzybski)
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To: ThreeYearLurker

Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight
Fox News
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
By Daniel J. DeNoon

People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet sodas.

"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.


47 posted on 06/15/2005 6:23:37 AM PDT by Wolfie
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To: Nov3
"High Fructose Corn Syrup is the main health threat in our food."

It's in absolutely everything!!!! I once bough a 1-lb container of potato salad, and it was loaded with HFCS.

It's frikkin' disgusting!
48 posted on 06/15/2005 6:23:38 AM PDT by LIConFem (A fronte praecipitium, a tergo lupi.)
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To: Wolfie
"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

I'd be inclined to believe that the people drinking diet sodas perhaps did so because they knew their other eating habits were more inclined to make them fat. Thin people don't need to drink diet sodas, so why would they? Otherwise, it makes no sense that a zero-calorie beverage is going to make anybody fat.

49 posted on 06/15/2005 6:28:31 AM PDT by Junior_G
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To: All
I believe that half of the thirty pounds that I lost were the result of cutting out coke. I would drink a can before bed almost every night. As long as I stay away from high carb drinks, I can pretty much eat what I want and not gain weight.

My 11 year old son was starting to look a little pudgy and becoming insecure about his belly, so we switched the whole family over to a lower glycemic regimen. No more fruit drinks, pops, white bread, sweets, etc.. Only 100% whole wheat, diet pop, water, low carb sweets. He was not heavy for his height, but in 2 weeks he lost 6 lbs and felt alot better.

My concern is when they go back to school. We are trying to teach them to make better choices when we are not around to monitor their eating.

I firmly believe that one day history will show refined carbs and the so called "food pyramid" as one of the greatest causes of disease and death to mankind.
50 posted on 06/15/2005 6:30:02 AM PDT by okkev68
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To: Junior_G

Saw another report on tv with more detail. They say the "sweet" taste, although non-caloric on its own, stimulates appetite.


51 posted on 06/15/2005 6:30:29 AM PDT by Wolfie
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To: Central Scrutiniser
What amazes me is that I have been to most every corner of the world, and Fanta is everywhere, but not in the USA!

I understand Coca-Cola has the US rights for Fanta. You can try calling your local Coca-Cola distributor and see which stores they sell it to.

52 posted on 06/15/2005 6:38:01 AM PDT by dread78645 (Sorry Mr. Franklin, We couldn't keep it.)
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To: Aquinasfan
I'm partial to lime diet Coke and diet Dr. Pepper myself. Is that a bad thing?It's a Good Thing, especially, 3 parts unleaded Dr Pepper and 1 part of the lime diet coke (and a drop of vanilla extract.)
53 posted on 06/15/2005 6:40:33 AM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: SALChamps03
Most people I know who drink that much soda drink the diet version. Zero calories.

That may be.

Way back when, one of my junior admins would drink one of those 20 oz bottles in the morning and another in the pm. and probably a third at home for dinner.
Anecdotal? Sure, -- but somehow I don't think she was the exception to the rule.

54 posted on 06/15/2005 6:55:41 AM PDT by dread78645 (Sorry Mr. Franklin, We couldn't keep it.)
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To: okkev68
I firmly believe that one day history will show refined carbs and the so called "food pyramid" as one of the greatest causes of disease and death to mankind.

I agree with you that the blasted food guide pyramid along with the dumping of hfcs and partially hydrogenated oils into everything at the same time has been culpable for this rapid rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes. When preteens are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes there is a real problem out there. Most people did not get diagnosed with that until their 50's and older twenty years ago.

I have lost over 100 pounds by eating only whole real foods and basically not drinking any cokes or diet cokes. I will drink a diet coke when I eat out but when I started drinking a lot of water I just didn't want the diet cokes anymore.

55 posted on 06/15/2005 6:55:58 AM PDT by CajunConservative
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To: Wolfie

They are thinking that it causes the insulin to release similar to when you eat sugar.


56 posted on 06/15/2005 6:57:10 AM PDT by CajunConservative
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To: Nov3

bookmark


57 posted on 06/15/2005 6:58:05 AM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (DON'T FIRE UNTIL YOU SEE THE WHITES OF THE CURTAINS THEY ARE WEARING ON THEIR HEADS !)
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To: Mr. Jeeves
Unfortunately, it looks like Coca Cola Zero still has aspartame in it, along with the Splenda.

My impression was "Coke Zero" was distinct from "Diet Coke", -- one with NutraSweet and the other with Splenda. Oh well.
Since I've lost any craving for sweet drinks, I won't have to worry about it. Water, coffee, & beer is the fluid spectrum for me.

58 posted on 06/15/2005 7:10:01 AM PDT by dread78645 (Sorry Mr. Franklin, We couldn't keep it.)
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To: Nov3

The new Diet Coke with Splenda sucks.


59 posted on 06/15/2005 7:11:51 AM PDT by socal_parrot (Tina Delgado is alive! ALIVE!)
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To: okkev68
I firmly believe that one day history will show refined carbs and the so called "food pyramid" as one of the greatest causes of disease and death to mankind.


60 posted on 06/15/2005 7:17:15 AM PDT by dread78645 (Sorry Mr. Franklin, We couldn't keep it.)
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