CDC: Consumption of sugary drinks still high

Rates stall after a decade of declining consumption.

For years, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines urged Americans to drink less sugary beverages. And for years, many Americans listened.

But after a decade of falling consumption, rates have stalled at well above the recommended limit, according to statistics released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency found that adults and children are both consuming roughly the same number of calories from soda, sports drinks and other sugary beverages now as they did in 2009-2010, the last time the CDC published comparable data.

“The amount of sugar that children in particular consume is still astounding,” said Rachel Johnson, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. “We recommend that children drink soda once a week or less. We’re seeing that two-thirds drink it on a daily basis.”

The CDC numbers counter the perception that Americans are continuing to shirk sugary drinks and

embracing a healthier lifestyle out of a desire to avoid the risks of obesity and diabetes. Researchers don’t exactly know why the leveling off has occurred, but there are several potential explanations. One is that while soda sales are down, Americans may be turning in growing numbers to teas, flavored waters and other energy drinks with plenty of sugar added.

According to the market research firm Euromonitor, the U.S. market for conventional carbonated sodas contracted .6 percent between 2011 and 2016. During that same period, sales of energy drinks, sports drinks and iced teas and bottled coffees grew by between 5 and 13 percent.

Meanwhile, it’s also possible that the initial decline in sugary-beverage consumption came among Americans who were particularly receptive to changing their behavior, such as upper-income individuals. That leaves a soda-drinking population whose habits are changing more slowly.

“My guess is that we might be seeing different trends by age and socioeconomic status,” said Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “People with higher levels of education and income have made dramatic changes to their diets overall in recent years. Many people with lower levels of education and income have seen no improvement.”

Sugary beverages have been linked directly to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, which is why public health agencies have gone to great lengths to discourage their consumption.

SIPA USA 2010 The CDC found Americans are consuming roughly the same number of calories from soda and sports drinks as in 2009-2010.