Sugar is sweet, and so are Yoo-hoo

Some new studies coming out (heard on NPR this morning, referenced here) noting that sugared sodas, fruit juices, and sports/performance drinks add a huge number of calories to our diet, and that just cutting them out can make a significant difference.

The NPR article focused on a study in which regular soda, fruit juices, and sports drinks were substituted with diet or sugar-free sodas and drinks, showing a significant weight loss for overweight teens.

Well, duh.

I mean, anecdotally, just looking at the delta in calories between the sodas I used to drink and ones I drink now, it’s a huge difference, and a significant percentage of daily calories. Reducing or eliminating them can make a signficant difference.

Of course, all this being said, the whole “” schtick is the same sort of knee-jerk response that makes adoption of sensible eating habits all the more difficult. The idea that sodas, even sugared sodas, are the sole cause of obesity, or that drinking them on occasion leads to the fall of civilization, is a distortion of the science, and calling sodas the “cigarettes of obesity” is just turns people off (and does a disservice to those fighting cigarettes).

Make people aware of the calories (e.g., make the caloric content clearer), and then let people make their own decision as part of overall diet and exercise and health regimens. Warning labels should be a last resort for substances that are truly harmful, per se, not substances that, when abused, can be harmful. And don’t get me started on adding “sin taxes” onto a can of Coca-Cola and the like.

Treat people like adults. They might actually surprise you and act like them. Scold them like kids, and they’re likely to behave like kids, too.