Saturday, April 3, 2010

Are You Pouring on the Pounds Today?

Are You Pouring on the Pounds Today?


It’s hard to overeat without noticing it. By contrast, soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages can sneak up on you, adding hundreds of calories to your diet each day without ever filling you up. On average, Americans now consume 200 to 300 more calories each day than we did 30 years ago. Nearly half of these extra calories come from sugar-sweetened drinks.

As a first step in controlling your own soda intake, consider these simple strategies to avoid pouring on the pounds: If you drink coffee or tea, order it plain and flavor it yourself. If you order a sugar-sweetened beverage, ask for a “small.” When you shop for beverages, read the labels and choose products with fewer than 25 calories per 8-ounce serving. And if you enjoy sugar-sweetened beverages, make them an occasional treat and not a daily staple.

Remember, drinking beverages loaded with sugars increases your risk of obesity and associated chronic health problems, particularly diabetes but also heart disease, stroke, arthritis and cancer.

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