Getting Fat...It's the Real Thing

Getting Fat...It's the Real Thing

Getting Fat…It’s the Real Thing. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

(Soft drink jingle)

Soft drinks have a very long history extending as far back as the 1200’s. Carbonated beverages became popular in the 18th century. We have just always loved our carbonated drinks. And who of us over the age of 50 can forget the special treat it was to go to the local gas station and buy a bottle of our favorite beverage or better yet slide onto one of the stools at the local soda fountain for the real thing and I meant that literally. Out in the field at harvest time a cold soda pop sure cuts through the dust. But did you know that it’s estimated Americans consume 56 gallons of soft drinks a year per person? Tammy Roberts, a nutrition and health education specialist with University of Missouri Extension says that makes what you drink as critical as what you eat when it comes to weight.

ROBERTS: My best advice is just when you are drinking something, think about what’s in it and make half of your daily food intake water. If you are going to drink sugar sweetened beverages they recommend no more than 8 ounces per day.

“They” is the Institute of Medicine and just in case you don’t know 8 ounces equates to one cup. A small juice glass is typically about 6 ounces so that pretty much rules out the mega gulp cups at the kwik mart on the corner. So what is the big deal about drinking a lot of soda pop

ROBERTS: If you’re drinking sugar sweetened beverages, you are drinking calories and calories can add up to pounds.

It’s not just soda pop either; most all bottled beverages including fruit drinks contain added sugars.

ROBERTS: I think what it is, is that whenever we’re drinking we’re not thinking about it as having calories when actually it adds up so much. I did a quick little calculation, in 1997 the average American was drinking 53 gallons of soda per year and that can add up to like 19 pounds of weight.

I have to admit that there are times when nothing will quite quench thirst like a cold bottle of soda and frankly there is nothing wrong with that as long as it’s only one. I used to know a guy and you probably do too that was pretty much addicted to sodas. His morning routine usually started off with a can of pop for breakfast and just escalated from there up to 10 to 12 a day! Roberts has some advice for those of us that just can’t seem to stop the pop.

ROBERTS: We recommend 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

I knew exercise was going to come into this somewhere. Oh well, I’ll drink to that. That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.  

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