HEALTH
UNPRINTED WARNING
by Rachel Parker
While soft drinks might be convenient for their caffeine and taste, they're hacking away at our health.
Marlboro cartons and Jack Daniels bottles warn that they contain dangerous ingredients. A growing body of evidence shows that soda cans may need to display warnings too.
Recent studies at universities and by nutrition organizations such as Focus Nutrition, LLC, found a correlation between soft drinks and obesity and malnutrition that could make you think twice about feeding another dollar into a campus vending machine.
On average, a person in the U.S. consumes more than 52 gallons of carbonated soft drinks per year. There are about 450 types of soft drinks on the market, according to a 2004 poll by the American Beverage Association.
Of these consumers, those ages 19-39 drink
Spencer Knoll, Topeka sophomore, says he wouldn't drink as much pop if it weren't such a convenient mixer for alcohol. The taste of pop is a useful cover-up for the strength of hard liquor, and the caffeine in soft drinks is appealing to students who need a boost.
Chase alcohol with diet sodas, Chapman says, which have non-calorie sweetener.
ON AVERAGE, EACH AMERICAN CONSUMES MORE THAN 52 GALLONS OF CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS PER YEAR. THE AMERICAN BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION
Soft drinks have absolutely no nutritional value, says Ann Chapman, registered dietician at Watkins Memorial Health Center, 1200 Schwegler Drive."They are definitely a contributing factor to the weight gain of college students," she says. The calories from these beverages aren't as satisfying and satiating as the same amount of calories from foods, so you can still feel hungry after chugging a soda, she says.
the most soft drinks, according to a 2004 CBS News article. The article also reports that since the 1970s the daily calorie intake from soda pop consumption has tripled.
She also recomends drinking a latte to get the milk intake.She says that scientists are predicting an osteoporosis epidemic in 20 to 30 years because of the lack of
Not only are soft drinks high in calories, they also contain high fructose corn syrup, which replaced table sugar in 1980.
Men's and women's body mass index increased significantly when consuming soda in comparison to eating the same amount of sweetened jelly beans, according to a 2000 study by the Department of Foods and Nutrition.
milk in diets, and that a person only has until his mid 20s to build stronger bones through calcium intake.
Colin Weber, Lenexa sophomore, used to drink a pop a day. He says he stopped drinking soft drinks after he read an article about Bill Clinton's efforts to pull the liquid
candy from schools in the May issue of Time magazine."It has unnecessary sugars for the body,"he says.
The William J. Clinton foundation, the American Heart Association, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola and Cadbury Schweppes teamed up to replace vending machine fare in schools with water, milk unsweetened juices and sugar-free sodas in May, says the Time article, "How Bill Put the Fizz in the Fight Behind Fat."
Even if soft drinks are convenient for the hectic and social lifestyles of college students, substituting something with less sugar and more vitamins and minerals could have a positive effect on your health. So next time you head for a Coke, remember the warning that should be printed on the can.
Advertisements play a big role to feed the soft drink problem. "There's a lot more exposure of pop in the media these days," Weber says. Famous commercials, flashy magazine ads and bright billboards attract consumers even more.
Should soda cans carry a warning?
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/JARED GAB
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