Only half of adult Americans and 61 percent of children consume a sugar-sweetened beverage on any given day, down sharply from consumption rates a decade earlier, reports the New York Times, citing a study in the journal Obesity. Fewer people are drinking sugary beverages and when they do, they consume fewer calories.
The conclusions were drawn from a long-running study of 46,000 people who were asked what they drank over the previous 24 hours; juice, milk, soda, coffee, tea, sports drinks, water and alcohol. “Per capita consumption of all drinks declined,” said the Times. In 2003, 62 percent of adults and 80 percent of children said they consumed a sweet beverage in the past day, compared to 50 percent of adults and 61 percent of children 12 years later. Caloric consumption from the drinks fell too.
Harvard professor Sara Bleich, lead author of the study, said in every age group, people drank more water, probably as an alternative to soda. Publicity about the health dangers of obesity is a possible factor for lower consumption of sugary drinks, said Bleich. Although consumption is declining, “consumption is still highest among blacks, Hispanics and adolescents, and these groups are at higher risk for obesity,” she said.