Naturopathic Solutions

This article from The Kansas City infoZine suggests that calories from beverages may be a large causal factor on the nation’s growing obesity problem.

Here are some facts and opinions from the article:

During the last 30 years calorie consumption has increased by 150-300 calories per day with half of that increase coming from beverages.

Average soft drink portions have increased from 13 ounces to 20 ounces.

Studies indicate that when people consume more calories from beverages they do not compensate by consuming fewer calories from their meals, hence the increase in calories from the beverages is a net increase in calorie consumption leading to permanent weight gain.

Even after consuming more calories from sweetened beverages with their meals, study participants did not report any increase in satiety.

Beverages don’t provide an increase satiety commensurate with their calorie component:  they pass through our mouths quickly giving less time for the brain to realize we are eating and some people somehow rationalize that they don’t count; they do.

This article provides an excellent summary of the perils of high calorie beverages; read it in full here.

Our take at getfitsource.com is simple:

If you are still drinking colas or other “sugar water” you really aren’t serious about losing weight.  Sweetened soft drinks should be the very first thing that you jettison from your diet if you want to lose.  Drink only water and other unsweetened beverages if you are serious about losing weight.  If you must drink orange juice or grapefruit juice, be sure to dilute it copiously with water before you consume.  Sports drinks fall into the “sugar water” category.  Although they contain fewer calories per ounce than sweetened colas, they should be avoided if you want to lose.  A large sports drink can easily negate the (caloric consumption) benefits of a fairly strenuous workout.