Sugar and obesity

Fact : Two thirds of US adults are overweight or obese and obesity rates have risen substantially in the past 20 years, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Opinion : “We know there is a direct link between excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity”, according to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Fact : Between 2000 and 2011, US carbonated soft drinks calories per person per day fell by 20.6%, according to Beverage Digest newsletter. Carbonated soft drinks consumption accounts for 6% of average daily calories.

Opinion : “If calories and added sugars consumed from beverages are going down and obesity is going up, soft drinks are not to blame for the obesity epidemic”, according to the American Beverage Association.

Opinion : “No consistent association between beverage intake patterns and overweight and obesity,” author of study in Canadian journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 14 June 2012.

My opinion: The causes matter, but actions matter more.