“Sugary Drinks: May Not be So Sweet”
Sugar has been linked with increased aging, cardiovascular disease, obesity and even cancer. Experts have been calling for reductions in recommended sugar intake, with some saying we should eliminate sugar completely. Due to their high sugar content and low nutritional value, there is growing concern that sugary drinks are a significant contributor to obesity. Worldwide, an estimated 1.9 billion adults are overweight, and of these, 600 million are obese. In the US alone, obesity-related healthcare costs around $200 billion a year. Sugary drink consumption has increased drastically in recent decades, leading policy makers to look for ways of reducing the amount of sugary drinks in our diets, including a special “sugar tax.” Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist, claims sugar is a “toxic,” addictive substance. Mexico consumes more sugar-sweetened drinks than any other country: looking at Coca-Cola products alone, Mexico consumes 745 servings per person per year, compared to the worldwide average of 94.
