Diluting America's sweet tooth, one drink at a time

[M_Smith]

Diluting America's sweet tooth, one drink at a time

[SIZE=-1] You could say my kids have a sugar daddy. Whereas I never met a salty snack I didn't like, my husband succumbs to sweet temptation. Ideally, his day would start with pancakes, end with cake and ice cream, and be rounded out with a mocha and pastry in the afternoon. He doesn't overindulge like this too often, but probably would if his waistline allowed it.

His fondness for sweet stuff has led to some debate in our household over what to feed our kids, as his idea of what constitutes a lot of sugar differs from mine. Of course, I'm not immune to the appeal of sweets, and we'll go through stretches of having ice cream or another treat after dinner each night. The kids love it, as you might imagine, and quickly come to expect it. So what happens once the ice cream is gone? The first few nights without a sugary dessert are tough, but you know what? After not having it for a while, they no longer ask for it and happily end their meal with cantaloupe or frozen blueberries (a favorite).



I marvel at how quickly my kids can get into a sugar habit?and how quickly they can shed it. If only it were so easy for all of us. But adults, of course, don't have someone metering out their sweets. And, nowadays, people of all ages are often so accustomed to high amounts of sugar in their diet that they don't realize just how much they're getting. Sure, everyone knows that ice cream and cookies are loaded, but so are seemingly healthy options like many yogurts and cereals. Added sugar has become a central part of the modern diet and American palate. Our taste buds often expect a high level of sweetness, and crave it when it's not there. And experts say our sugar habit is a key factor in the rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes in our country.

The Harvard School of Public Health is now taking aim at a particularly potent source of added sugar: sweetened beverages. A 12-ounce can of soda or juice typically has a whopping 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar and 150 or more calories. On a typical day, four out of five kids and two out of three adults drink these beverages, according to the HSPH. And, for many, it's not just one drink. Teenage boys, for example, down more than a quart of sugary drinks, on average, each day.

To help Americans wean themselves from sweetened drinks, the experts at Harvard say that beverage companies, the government, schools, worksites, and individuals all must do their part. Some of their recommendations.

• Beverage companies should create reduced-calorie drinks with no more than one gram of sugar per ounce, which amounts to about three teaspoons per 12 ounces and around 50 calories. And they should do this without using sugar substitutes, such as aspartame and sucralose, as there's some evidence these sweeteners may actually promote weight gain*if used over a long period. Beverage companies should also offer smaller, 8-ounce bottles of sugary drinks.
• The Food and Drug Administration should require beverage manufacturers to list the number of calories per bottle or can?not per serving?on the front of beverage containers.
• Schools and workplaces should provide several healthy beverage options and smaller serving sizes. They should also make sure water is freely available.
• Individuals should choose beverages with few or no calories. Water is best. They should also leave sodas and fruit drinks off their shopping list and purchase less juice.

All this sounds great, but it won't make much difference if people aren't motivated to change their beverage habits. To provide incentive and guidance, the Harvard group also offers some helpful information on their Web site, The Nutrition Source, including research on the link between sugary drinks and diabetes and heart disease, low-sugar drink options, and advice on how to pick the best beverages.

But what I found most insightful was a chart* detailing the sugar content of 60 or so beverages. Besides highlighting each drink's calories, the chart also lists how many teaspoons of sugar per 12-ounce serving (two of the biggest offenders are Welch's 100% Grape Juice and Jamba Juice Mango Peach Topper, each with 15 teaspoons of sugar). This puts in very real terms what those calories and grams of sugar actually mean. The chart is also color-coded, so you can spot high-, low- and medium-sugar option in the lineup.

What you need to know. Time will tell whether beverage companies and FDA respond to the Harvard group's challenge for reduced-calorie drinks and new labeling. But no matter?we can all make changes to our beverage habits today.

Try this the next time you're reaching for a sugary drink: Check the chart to see how many teaspoons of sugar the beverage contains. Then, find an empty 12-ounce glass and spoon in the same amount of sugar. Take a good look. Are you craving that beverage a little less?

?Sophie Ramsey, patient editor, BMJ Group

ConsumerReportsHealth.org has partnered with The BMJ Group to monitor the latest medical research and assess the evidence to help you decide which news you should use.

*links to PDF

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