Half of Americans sip sugary drinks daily

Americans get 8% of daily calories from sugary drinks, a study from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics says.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Half of U.S. population over age 2 consumes sugary drinks daily, CDC says
• Report says the drinks have been linked to weight gain, obesity and diabetes
• Beverage makers say their products have not fueled obesity and diabetes
• Male teens are most frequent consumers of sugary drinks, report says

(CNN) -- When it was first invented, soda pop was a treat most people had once in a while for special occasions.
Now it's a daily fixture in American life -- in bright containers glowing inside vending machines, chugged from 32-ounce bucket-like containers at self-service stations and served as the default beverage in fast-food meals.
In today's carbonation nation, half of the U.S. population over age 2 consumes sugary drinks daily, according to a report released by National Center for Health Statistics.
The sugary drinks include sodas, sweetened waters, and energy, sports and fruit beverages. Not included in the total were diet drinks, 100% fruit juices, sweetened teas and flavored milk. The report states that sugary drinks have been linked to "poor diet quality, weight gain, obesity, and in adults, type 2 diabetes."More....Cnn.com

  

A Coca-Cola bottle is seen with other beverages in New York in this June 23, 2008 …

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LOS ANGELES/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - U.S. public awareness campaigns about sugary soft drinks are under legal attack by beverage makers, which have sued New York City's health department and hit local governments with requests for documents on the science behind the initiatives.

Efforts to deter consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fatty foods have gained favor in the United States as skyrocketing obesity rates drive up healthcare costs.

The soda industry, which says it is defending its products from "baseless" attacks, and its attorneys have filed at least six document requests with public agencies from California to New York. Anti-obesity advocates say the requests -- which can take hundreds of staff hours for cash-strapped governments to satisfy -- come from the tobacco industry's playbook.  More....Yahoo news