Dropping Some Weight

Today is the day that a lot of folks begin their New Year's resolutions to drop a few pounds. One way is to cut back on the soda pop. 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 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.

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.

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.

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

That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.