An actual headline on the front page of washingtonpost.com:
Soda, Punch May Hurt Health
Study: Women who drink soda, fruit punch daily risk weight gain, diabetes
Did we need a study of more than 50,000 U.S. nurses to figure this out? C’mon, one 12 ounce soda contains more than 200 calories and incredible amounts of carbohydrates… and no protein or real nutrients.
I may be overweight and a poor eater, like most Americans, but even I stay away from sodas religiously.
Even though the conclusions of this study are incredibly obvious, the soda lobby, predictably, denounced them:
The sugar and beverage industries said the study was fundamentally flawed.”The conclusions from this study are scientifically unsound and they are at odds with all that’s known in the scientific community,” said Richard Adamson, vice president for scientific and technical affairs at the American Beverage Association. “These allegations are inflammatory.”
Among the study’s many problems, Adamson said, the researchers failed to take into consideration a host of other variables that could account for the apparent risk. Women who drink a lot of soda may simply have generally unhealthy lifestyles, he said.
“At odds with all that’s known in the scientific community?” That’s the most blatantly ridiculous thing I’ve heard today that didn’t come from the current occupant of the White House (or more accurately, the occasional resident).
What scientist thinks that drinking highly concentrated sugar water is healthful? On top of that, the Sugar Association says:
Any increased risk for diabetes in the study could be attributed to the weight the women gained, not their sugar intake, said Charles Baker, vice president for scientific affairs for the Sugar Association.
“It’s not about sugar. It’s about calorie imbalance.”
In other words, if your daily intake is 2,000 calories, it’s okay to drink 10 sodas as long as you don’t eat anything else?
