Sugary Drinks and Obesity in the US

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The problem
Review of the literature
Conclusion
Recommendations
References

Introduction

Contemporarily, there are various issues facing the U.S which can be said to have been given rise to by the setting of priorities as well as the legislative agenda by the government and the congress. Some of the major challenges include critical issues attributable to the health care system of the nation. The purpose of this paper is to establish and address the issues that impact the public in the United States.

The problem

According to New York Times, the serving size of soda as well as other beverages that are sugar-sweetened in movie theatres, street carts and restaurants has been identified as an issue that affects the lives of the citizens of the United States. The editor of this article asserts that too much intake of soda and sweetened beverages increase the possibility of a person developing obesity.

Review of the literature

Soft drinks such as soda are constituted of extremely high levels of sugar as well as calories. In the findings of the research by Hector, et al. (2009), a standard can of manufactured soda is approximately 12 ounces. In addition to this, this can be contained in sweeteners which are equivalent to 10 tablespoonfuls of sugar as well as approximately 150 calories. The research further established that, by consuming excess soda or even diet soft drinks say 2 cans, the calories add up and as such, there is a bigger likelihood that the person will experience a weight gain, which will exceed 2 pounds in that month. The researcher further uses logic by indicating that, in a year, the person will have gained 20 pounds or even more (Grynbaum, 2012 May).

According to the findings of the research conducted by Ogden, Kit, Carroll & Park (2011), the effect of sugary beverages is insignificant as compared to soda as well as sugary drinks. Further, the findings indicate that sugar-sweetened drinks are among the main reasons why obesity has emerged as a pandemic in the United States. Precisely, obesity, stroke as well as coronary artery disease are brought about by too much consumption of sweetened drinks (Waillet, 2012).

In research conducted by Children’s Hospital Colorado (2012), 82,902 female nurses were identified. At the beginning of the study, their health, as well as diet, was established and as such, none of them had any complications. After 12 years, information about the same was taken and it was found out that about 2,718 had developed obesity. According to the researcher, most of these people who developed the condition consumed large amounts of soda and sweetened drinks.

According to most researchers, rather than taking sugary drinks, a person who prefers to take a glass of plain water every day indeed is indeed likely to reduce the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes as well as obesity. According to Hector, et al. (2009), it is not just taking water that reduces the risk of obesity. Instead, a person should take from 8 to 10 ounces. They further assert that fruit juices should not be assumed to be the ideal substitute for soda. In their findings, he indicates that fruit juices are capable of leading to a similar diabetic condition, that is, obesity as compared to 8 to 12 ounces of plain water.

Single simple sugars such as glucose are important in the body as they are used by the cells to obtain the necessary energy. Indeed, this is the main reason why the body contains intricate mechanisms which help in making the level of glucose in the bloodstream to be balanced. Sugary and sweetened beverages contain carbohydrates and when they are consumed excessively, they are transformed into glucose then absorbed into the bloodstream in a rapid manner.

Once the body establishes that there has been an excess absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, it reacts by releasing insulin which instructs the body cells to absorb the excess glucose. However, since the absorbed amount is too high, the insulin becomes insufficient meaning that the amount of sugar in the blood is too high and as such, a diabetic condition arises (Children’s Hospital Colorado, 2012).

According to the findings of the research conducted by Ogden, Kit, Carroll & Park (2011), inactivity raises the probability of developing obesity. According to the researchers, such things as watching movies and resting in restaurants are in activities as people only talk without doing much to stimulate the body. As such, inactivity increases the chances of developing the obesity condition by approximately 14 percent. In a movie theater or a restaurant, people who do not take beer are usually served with sodas and sweated beverages and as such, this coupled with the state of inactivity of the person further increases the chances of developing obesity.

A person who regularly works out his muscles and takes water or a very little amount of sweetened beverages increases and boosts the ability of the body to use insulin and therefore absorb the excess sugar. As such, the stress on the cells that produce insulin is lessened and therefore, there is no chance that the cells will fail. This is completely the opposite of a person who takes soda and sweetened beverages and is not involved in any activity. Such a person is likely to experience failure of insulin-producing cells and this means that obesity will surface (Waillet, 2012).

Conclusion

From the reading of the New York Times, it is evidently clear that serving size of soda as well as other beverages that are sugar sweetened in Movie Theater, street carts and restaurants is indeed risky to the health of the United States citizens as they are likely to give rise to health complications such as obesity (Waillet, 2012).

From the article, it is clear that New York’s mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg is adequately aware that excessive drinking of sodas and sweetened beverages is dangerous to the health of the people especially when taken in a state of inactivity. The mayor advocates that people should take less of these in order to avoid the risk of developing obesity. He therefore proposes a ban on sodas and sweetened beverages being served in Movie Theater, street carts and restaurants (Waillet, 2012).

While this could be seen as an ideal decision by medical practitioners, there are other opposing views among them being from people within Mr. Bloomberg’s administration. Other people view the government as if it’s going for promotion then enforcement. In addition to this, the proposal does not consider the hospitality industry of the United States because; sodas and sweetened beverages are one of the major elements of their trade and they account for their revenues in a significant way (Grynbaum, 2012 June). According to the article, there are some members of New York’s City Council who are circulating a petition with an intention of opposing this proposal. This clearly indicates that there are divisions with regard to the proposal (Grynbaum, 2012 May).

Recommendations

Foremost, instead of advocating a total ban on soda as well as other beverages that are sugar sweetened in Movie Theater, street carts and restaurants, the government should concentrate on efforts aimed at educating the citizens about the possible effects of taking excessive soda and sweetened beverages without being involved in an activity. Secondly, the government should encourage the citizens to consume only a limited amount of soda and other beverages that are sugar sweetened in movie theater, street carts and restaurants. The management of these places should ensure that a person requiring a drink is only provided with one and warned not to request for another one later.

Another way that the government could ensure that the rate of obesity in the United State is reduced could be through advising the management of movie theatres to ensure that every person visiting the entertainment scene is provided with a bottle of clean water at the expense of the government.

Alternatively, the government could instruct the soda and soft drink manufacturer to lower the sugar as well as calories content of their drinks. Every sugary drink should be inspected by the United States bureau of standards and if it meets the new standards, it is released for sale and if it does not, the manufacturer of the substandard drink should be prosecuted.

References

Children’s Hospital Colorado (2012). Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Children: 8 Things You Can Do Right Now. Web.

Grynbaum, M. M. (2012). New York Plans to Ban Big Sizes of Sugary Drinks. New York Times, p. 1-3.

Grynbaum, M. M. (2012). On ‘Today,’ Mayor Defends Soda Ban (and Donut Day). New York Times, p. 1-2.

Hector, D., Rangan, A., Louie, J., Flood, V., & Gill, T. (2009). Soft Drinks, Weight Status and Health: A Review. A NSW Centre for Public Health Nutrition, 3 (1), 7-40.

Ogden, C. L., Kit, B. K., Carroll, M. D., & Park, S. (2011). Consumption of Sugar Drinks in the United States, 2005–2008. NCHS Data Brief, 2 (71), 1-8.

Waillet, W. (2012). Bloomberg’s Supersize Soda Ban. New York Times, p. 1.

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