Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs): An Ideal Target for Obesity Control Efforts

Reasons Why SSBs Are an Ideal Target for Obesity Control Efforts:

  • SSBs are the number one source of added sugar in American diets.
  • There is a conclusive link between SSBs and obesity (and other conditions).
    • A child has a 60% higher chance of becoming obese with each additional 12-ounce serving of soda each day.
    • Just 1 sugar-sweetened beverage a day increases an adult's risk of becoming overweight by 27%!
    • Sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to a higher risk for a variety of diseases such as gout, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and hypertension.
  • Obesity is complex, but SSBs represent a single behavior.
  • Education about SSBs is relatively straightforward.

Click here to learn more and find resources to educate people on sugary drinks so they can Rethink Your Drink.

Promoting Healthy Beverage Consumption, a presentation developed and presented by Dr. Goutham Rao, Co-Chair of the ICAAP Health Care Provider Campaign on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, and Mary Elsner JD, Director of ICAAP Obesity Prevention Initiatives, is now available to view in recorded form or show at hospital grand rounds.