Reducing Sugary Drinks and Their Health RisksSugary drinks and their portion sizes have been rising for many years. Beverage companies have increased the quantity of sugary drinks but have also produced a wide variety of these drinks. In addition, soft drink consumption has also grown significantly among the adult population as well as youth. Sugary drinks are packed with calories and in many cases have little no nutritional value. Today sugary drinks make up about 8 percent of the daily calorie intake by adults in the United States. On an average day, one-half of the people in the country consume sugary beverages. And 1 in 4 receive a minimum of 200 calories from sugary drinks and 5 percent consume at least 567 calories, which is equal to 4 cans of soda. Sugary drinks such as sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit punch and other beverages sweetened with sugar are considered a serious health risk to adults, adolescents and children.There is considerable evidence that sugary beverages, with substantial calories, increase the risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes and gout. The increasing consumption of sugary drinks is considered a major contributing factor to obesity; which is said to be a major health condition, as two out of three adults in theUnited States are overweight or obese. The growing concern regarding obesity is that it is a condition that puts individuals at risk for many chronic illnesses. When people reduce their consumption of sugary drinks they are better able to control their weight. Reducing sugary beverages results in a decrease in health related risks, and increasing beverages that arecalorie-free or arenot infused with sugar represents a healthier choice and contributes to a healthier lifestyle. The best sugar free beverage is water. There are many other beverages that are low in sugar or contain no sugar and are easy to prepare including these listed here: Flavored waterSparkling water with a splash of juiceCoffeeTea Fresh fruit coolersEach of these beverages can be enhanced with citrus fruits such as a twist of lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, herbs, or mint as well as other spices.Substituting sugary beverages may not be a realistic goal for some, but reducing the consumption of sugary drinks and increasing low sugar or no sugarbeverages is a worthwhile and practical goal to consider. Resources

Sugary Drinks and Obesity Fact Sheet. HarvardMedicalSchool of Public Health, October, 2006.Sugar Sweetened Beverages, Weight Gain and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Young and Middle-Aged Women, JAMA, August, 2004.