Palooli High School Soda Research

For those of you who think switching from the "real thing" to diet soda will help in losing weight; you are in for a rude awakening. More and more research is showing that not only will it not help but there is evidence that artificially sweetened diet beverages could actually cause you to gain weight.

The soda ban is a bad idea because it excludes other sugary drinks that cause obesity and diabetes as often as soda. Diet soda can still cause diabetes even if it doesn’t have calories. Dr. Andrew Weil M.D. states “We’ve known for some time that the more artificially sweetened food and drink we consume, the fatter we get.”

A 12 ounce can of soda contains 39 grams of sugar. According to the American Heart Association, it is recommended men consume 36 grams of sugar daily, while women should only consume 29 grams of sugar daily. It is no wonder America is gaining weight. Just by drinking a can of soda they have already exceeded the amount of sugar suggested for the daily allowance.

Cans of regular soda are more dense because more sugar is added to them, the diet or no sugar sodas float because they use less fake sweetener, more grams of sugar and in regular sodas than the milligrams in diet sodas.

To me Diet Coke is the a natural, sensible choice: if you 're after a soft-drink, why would you want to consume the full-sugar regular variety, when you can opt for the Diet version for practically the same taste, and other benefits, but with none of the calories?

It is commonplace that diet soda is an acceptable diet food. So many people believe that by drinking diet soda they will reduce their calories and sugar intake therefore, lose weight. Even though it is not natural sugar, artificial sweeteners are just as addictive. Cheryl Forberg R.D. author of Flavor First states, when the taste buds sense sweetness, the body expects calories to come with it. There are no calories in diet soda so your body is craving calories for energy, which makes you crave food and overeat, leading to obesity (Lajollamom). In addition, many diet soda drinkers feel that

With soft drinks being available at every street corner from convenience stores to department stores, it has been easy for consumers to purchase such high-calorie drinks as a quick snack. However, with the knowledge that these high-calorie drinks are injurious to health because of the quantity of sugar it contains, individuals are cutting back the high calorie and replacing it with diet drinks thinking it is supposedly a healthier choice. Unfortunately, the public is blinded by the word “no calorie” and unaware that these drinks contain fake sweeteners that pose serious health issues. According to statistics, it is shown that Diet coke is ranked first as the most popular soft drink consumed in Canada

- The difference between diet and regular soda is that diet soda uses artificial sweeteners, like aspartame for example. This affects the fountain because low surface tension helps bubbles grow quickly. The surface tension in water containing aspartame is lower than sugary water, which explains why diet soda creates a bigger fountain thatn regular soda (NewScientist).

I also disagree with this plan of action because many teens and kids struggle with weight, and putting soda at easier access is a bad idea. Yes this would raise money for the school, but why soda? Why not water or freshly delivered fruits and veggies? Even packages of dried fruit and nuts would be better than soda. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death, and putting soda at a closer grasp for bored students may make it the first leading cause

Next, many consumers believe that drinking diet soda is healthier for you than drinking regular soda filled with sugar but studies are starting to show that artificial sweeteners may actually lead to diabetes. Mary Ann Yantis, PhD, RN, a nurse educator for Nursing Education Consultants and Kate Hunter, RD, LD (2010), a clinical dietitian at Adventist Medical Center reports (2010) that drinking more than one serving of diet soda per day can increase your risk of metabolic syndrome by more than 36%. Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors, which includes hypertension, abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia. These risk factors increase a person’s risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke. This same study also reports (2010) that one diet soda per day can increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more the 67%. This is possibly due to the fact that artificial sweeteners can be up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar and this intense sweetness can be addictive thus creating cravings for more sweetness in order to feel satisfied. Yantis and Hunter (2010) point out that the sweet taste triggers the same dopamine signals that are also triggered by drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Craving for more intense artificial sweetness will result in consuming more calories, increase the likelihood of developing insulin resistance, and more than likely affect the glucose metabolism (Yantis & Hunter, 2010).

Many schools nowadays turn off their vending machines during the school day to prevent students from eating fattening foods. In California and Hawaii, state legislators are very close to passing a law that would ban any drinks excluding milk, water or juice from being sold in elementary schools, and reduce the hours older students can use the vending machines. Michelle Obama and the Obama Administration have asked Congress to improve children's nutrition by getting rid of school vending machines that provide students with sugary snacks and drinks. The problem with this is school’s are making an extravagant amount of money off feeding their students with artificial flavoring and

In conclusion, there is nothing healthy about diet soda and it is simply water with artificial sweeteners and other additives, especially phosphoric acid. So the less soda you drink, the better. In addition, people should not keep sodas in their home such as refrigerator because it is a big temptation. Instead, people can put healthier options include fresh juice, low fat milk, green tea, hot chocolate, and ginger tea. Moreover, people should drink more water instead of reaching for diet soda. Liquid helps human’s body get rid of toxins that can cause a big risk for diseases like cancer. As you know, water has zero calories so it is one of the healthiest ways for people to stay hydrated. According to my research, people should drink at least

Those figures include teens who consumed little or no soda pop. For the average 13- to 18-year-old boy or girl drinker, soft drinks provide about 9% of calories. Boys and girls in the 75th percentile of consumption obtained 12% of their calories from soft drinks, and those in the 90th percentile about 18% of their calories." (USDA) As much as this world revolves around weight and looks, it seems that by giving up a soda or two per day would be a very smart start towards that "diet" that many of us are looking for. By giving up this one beverage, and not replacing it with something as sugary, it would be a big step in the right direction for people who are not happy with the way that they look. Many nutritionists state that soft drinks and other calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods can fit into a good diet. In theory, they are correct, but, regrettably, they ignore the fact that most Americans consume great quantities of soft drinks and meager quantities of healthful foods. One

Soda banning is one of the uttermost debatable and controversial topics in the country. One of the questions that people are asking is should soda be banned? The soda ban is the best way to go to eradicate obesity in the country. It will lower the risks for diabetes, cancer, and death. If we banned it, we will save people from the ramifications of their health. More importantly, the economy could increase and create numerous jobs for out of work people. However, if the ban does happen diet soda won’t be a part of the ban even though it consists of a dangerous chemical, aspartame. Furthermore, if we banned it, we might be taking away a citizen's right to drink whatever they crave whenever they please. That being the case, the biggest

Focus/Thesis: Over the years soda has become a staple in our lives, and is unfortunately extremely toxic to our bodies. Which is why we need to make the effort to limit the amount we drink and make ourselves aware of the risks we expose to our health when choosing to drink soda.