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Margot Sanger-Katz reports in the NYT that soda consumption is experiencing a serious and sustained decline as sales of full-calorie soda in the United States have plummeted by more than 25 percent over the past twenty years. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are actively trying to avoid the drinks that have been a mainstay of American culture and bottled water is now on track to overtake soda as the largest beverage category in two years. The changing patterns of soda drinking appear to come thanks, in part, to a loud campaign to eradicate sodas. School cafeterias and vending machines no longer contain regular sodas. Many workplaces and government offices have similarly prohibited their sale.
For many public health advocates, soda has become the new tobacco — a toxic product to be banned, taxed and stigmatized. "There will always be soda, but I think the era of it being acceptable for kids to drink soda all day long is passing, slowly," says Marion Nestle. "In some socioeconomic groups, it's over." Soda represents nearly 25% of the U.S. beverage market and its massive scale have guaranteed profit margins for decades. Historically, beverage preferences are set in adolescence, the first time that most people begin choosing and buying a favorite brand. But the declines in soda drinking appear to be sharpest among young Americans. "Kids these days are growing up with all of these other options, and there are some parents who say, 'I really want my kids to drink juice or a bottled water,' " says Gary A. Hemphill. "If kids grow up without carbonated soft drinks, the likelihood that they are going to grow up and, when they are 35, start drinking is very low."
(Score: 2) by kadal on Sunday October 04 2015, @03:07PM
Are there non sugary sodas?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 04 2015, @03:11PM
There are diet sodas, but they use one of several engineered sugar substitutes, dubious from the perspective of both obesity and general human health.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 04 2015, @04:52PM
Sugar substitutes have zero carbs. Carbs are the reason people get fat. Sugar substitutes do not cause people to become fat.
(Score: 3, Informative) by sjames on Sunday October 04 2015, @09:12PM
Actually, there is evidence to the contrary. The fake sugar is apparently convincing enough to trick the body into storing the real sugars in your bloodstream as fat and then when the expected calories don't appear, you get hungry. Hunger is a leading cause of consuming food.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday October 04 2015, @04:30PM
If you define soda as something involving cola nut flavors, to balance its bitterness against the acidity of the carbonation you need a sugar. So its like asking if there is a sugar free frosting, yes you could just use whipped butter or crisco, but probably not.
If you define soda as something you drink out of a bottle that is flavored water, there are a couple heath food store things that some variation or another on vitamin added water or oral rehydration fluid (not gatorade which has tons of sugar and it basically non-carbonated soda/fruit juice)
(Score: 1) by timbojones on Sunday October 04 2015, @05:36PM
Yes. [huffpost.com] There is even sugar-free flavored carbonated water. Also, most "Diet" colas are sugar-free, sweetened with some other crap.
Flavored carbonated water -- even without sugar -- is quite acidic and not great for your teeth. Sugar flavored soda is way worse: a good science project for kids involves dropping some of their baby teeth in a glass of Coke; they dissolve to nothing in a week.