Drinking Soda Makes You Fat...and (probably) other things

A new report published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition urges Americans "to drink water and limit both sugar-sweetened and naturally sweetened drinks. Unsweetened tea and coffee are seen as acceptable substitutes for water." Another startling statistic: "One of every five calories in the average American's diet is liquid...the portion of daily calories coming from sugar-sweetened drinks has roughly doubled over two decades, contributing to the nation's obesity problem."

Diane Korman, a client of mine who has completely transformed her body since beginning to work with me, has all but given up soft drinks and sugary colas. Her prediction, which isn't far from my own, is that the chemicals in soft drinks and artifically sweetened sodas will probably (if they haven't already) be linked to diseases such as cancer.

I know for myself, as a fat teenager at age 14, I gave up drinking all soda (or in Utah, we call it "pop.") After a year or so, I had dropped about 20 pounds and couldn't even stomach a Coca-Cola. My conclusion? There is definitely a link between how much soda and juice we drink and our waistline.