How Many Sodas do You Drink?


How much soda does the average American drink every day? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Americans love their sugary drinks. Half of us drink either a sugared soda or sugary drink each day. Many consume a whole lot more than one can a day. About 5% of us, or 1 in 20 Americans, drink more than four cans of soda a day. That's a whole lot of one's daily calories devoted to sugar.
  • 50% of Americans consume a sugared beverage every day.
  • Males consume more sugared beverages than females.
  • Teenage boys are in the lead. Males 12 to 19 years of age drink about 2 cans of sugared soda a day.
  • Poor vs Affluent – poor people drink more sugared soda than the more affluent.
  • Blacks – get more of their calories from sugary beverages than any other racial group.
So what is so bad about drinking soda that provides about 155 calories in a 12 ounce can OR 240 calories in a 20 ounce bottle?
  • Sugared drinks are associated with increased calories.
  • Sugared drinks are associated with increased body weight.
  • Among adolescents, sugared drinks have been linked to weight gain, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes
  • Boys ages 12-19 are now consuming more soda than milk, 22 ounces of sugared soda a day and only 9.8 ounces of milk.
  • Girls ages 12-19 years are now consuming an average of 14.3 ounces of sugared soda a day and only 6.3 ounces of milk.
CDC recommends that all youth should drink fewer sodas, fewer sugared sweetened beverages of all kinds and replace them with:
  • Water
  • Low-fat or fat-free (skim) milk
  • 100% Juice – but even limited amounts of juice
High School Students: according to CDC, sodas are the largest source of sugar in the diets of our youth today. CDC notes all these sugar calories are one of the reasons for the increase in obesity among adolescents.

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