Carbonated Drinks and Obesity

Two out of three adults and one out of three children in the United States are overweight or obese, and the nation spends an estimated $190 billion a year treating obesity-related health conditions.  Rising consumption of sugary drinks has been a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. A typical 20-ounce soda contains 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar and upwards of 240 calories. A 64-ounce fountain cola drink could have up to 700 calories. People who drink this “liquid candy” do not feel as full as if they had eaten the same calories from solid food and do not compensate by eating less. 

Beverage companies in the US spent roughly $3.2 billion marketing carbonated beverages in 2006, with nearly a half billion dollars of that marketing aimed directly at youth ages 2–17. And each year, youth see hundreds of television ads for sugar-containing drinks. In 2010, for example, preschoolers viewed an average of 213 ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks, while children and teens watched an average of 277 and 406 ads, respectively. Yet the beverage industry aggressively rebuffs suggestions that its products and marketing tactics play any role in the obesity epidemic. Adding to the confusion, beverage industry-funded studies are four to eight times more likely to show a finding favorable to industry than independently-funded studies. This fact sheet assembles key scientific evidence on the link between sugary drink consumption and obesity.

(Source: The Problem: Sugary Drinks Are a Major Contributor to the Obesity Epidemic)

Market Share of different categories of soft drinks

Customers have different behaviors when choose soft drinks, and soft drinks sector is one of the fast-moving industries.

Following is a chart which displays the market share of different soft drinks.

Categories of soft drinks?

Soft drinks, natural or artificial beverage which content  less than 0.5% of alcohol, also called alcohol free beverage.


Categories of Soft Drinks

Carbonated drinks : Sweetened, non-alcoholic drinks containing carbon dioxide.
Excludes tea-based products (included in iced/rtd tea drinks) and any products meeting specific sports or energy performance-enhancing claims (included in sports drinks and energy drinks respectively). Includes syrups for home (dilution 1 + 9) and out-of-home carbonated soft drinks dispensers (expressed in rtd volume). Includes carbonated juice (eg Appletiser), carbonated nectars and products such as Schorle, Mineralwasser Plus and Gesptritzte Fruchtsaefte), regardless of juice content (see Local Product for definitions).

Dilutable drinks: Diluted fruit/vegetable juice and pulp, to which sweetening agents, permitted minerals and vitamins for the purpose of fortification and permitted additives may be added. If flavours or colouring from sources other than the reconstituted fruits are included the product cannot be categorised as a nectar regardless of juice content. May contain pulp and cells from the same kind of fruit. Whilst juice content is required to be equal to or in excess of 25% by volume, minimum juice content varies according to the fruit in question. Includes products from concentrate and not from concentrate (see definition under Juice), chilled and ambient products (see definition under Juice).

Bottled waters:All potable water including water with or without added flavourings and minerals/vitamins sold in large containers of up to and including 10 litres. Includes:                      
Still Water:  Non-carbonated unsweetened mineral, spring or table water, with or without added flavourings and vitamin/mineral enhancement.
Carbonated Water Carbonated unsweetened mineral, spring or table water: including low-
carbonation waters, either naturally sparkling or which have been rendered sparkling by the injection of carbon dioxide, including 'low carbonation' waters.
Flavoured Water: Packaged water which has been flavoured by the addition of essences and/or aromatic substances but which does not contain sweetening agents (flavoured sweetened waters are included in carbonates if carbonated and in still drinks if noncarbonated).

Juices:100% pure fruit juice or vegetable juice with no added ingredients, except permitted minerals and vitamins for the purpose of fortification and permitted additives. Sweetening agents with less than 2% moisture (sucrose, dextrose anhydrous, glucose and fructose) may be added; syrups (liquid sucrose, invert sugar solution/syrup, fructose syrup, liquid cane sugar, isoglucose and high fructose syrup) may only be added to juice from concentrate/concentrated fruit juice. If flavours or colouring from sources other than the reconstituted fruits are included the product cannot be categorised as a juice regardless of juice content. May contain pulp and cells from the same kind of fruit.

Still drinks:Flavoured ready to drink, non-carbonated products, which may be fruit or non-fruit flavoured and have a juice content of 0-25%. Sugar, artificial flavouring and colouring may be added. Excludes non-carbonated tea-based products (included in iced/rtd tea drinks) and any still products making specific sports or energy performance-enhancing claims (included in sports drinks and energy drinks respectively).

(Source: Canadean Liquid Intelligence, Beverage Categories of Definitions)

CANADA

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