Rethink Your Drink
During National Nutrition Month
The Hidden Calories
When it comes to weight loss, there's no lack of diets promising fast results. There are low-carb diets, high-carb diets, low-fat diets, grapefruit diets, cabbage soup diets, and blood type diets, to name a few. But no matter what diet you may try, to lose weight, you must take in fewer calories than your body uses. Most people try to reduce their calorie intake by focusing on food, but another way to cut calories may be to think about what you drink.
Did You Know?
- The average person eats almost 100 pounds of sugar a year--That's about one quarter of a pound of added sugar a day!
- Soda is the #1 source of added sugar in the American Diet
- Over 30% of all calories from added sugars consumed daily are from sweetened beverages
- These excess calories lead to weight gain, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease
Don't Be Fooled
The beverage industry would have you believe that drinking sugary beverages can be offset by exercising more, but the average person does not exercise enough to compensate for the number of calories being consumed in sugary beverages. For example, a 160-pound person would have to walk approximately:
3.3 miles to burn off a 240-calorie, 20-oz. soda
2.5 miles to burn off a 200-calorie, 32-oz. sports drink
4.6 miles to burn off a 370-calorie, 40-oz. (large) lemonade
4.5 miles to burn off a 360-calorie, 23-oz. sweetened tea
What Are Sugary Drinks
How Much Sugar Do They Really Have?
What About Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks?
If My Child Drinks Two 20-Ounce Sodas Per Day, How Much Sugar Is He Drinking?
A person who drinks two 20-ounce regular colas per day consumes 4.7 cups of sugar per week — or 243 cups of sugar per year — from soda alone.
Do Sugary Drinks Harm Kids’ Teeth?
Consumption of sugary drinks by young children under the age of 5 is associated with an 80‐120% increased risk of cavities.
Consumption of energy drinks and sports drinks, which are highly acidic, irreversibly damages teeth through the erosion of tooth enamel.
What are the Other Health Effects of Drinking too Many Sugary Drinks?
Is it Ok for My Kids to Have Diet Sodas?
Although diet beverages can provide calorie savings if substituted for high-calorie sugary drinks, they often have high acid content that can harm teeth. And for children, they have the potential to displace milk and other healthier options, including water.
Why Single Out Sugary Drinks?
Help Lead the Charge to Reduce Sugar Sweetened Beverage Intake
Email: Teresa.Fair@adph.state.al.us
Website: adph.org/nutrition/
Location: 201 Monroe Street, Montgomery, AL, United States
Phone: 334-206-5226