Research Shows Beverages Contribute to Obesity

Right now, one in three Americans is obese and over half of all Americans are considered overweight. This is a significant increase from just 20 years ago when one-fourth of Americans were obese.

Are we eating more fat? Apparently not. The average American consumes about 83 grams of at each day, compared to 81 grams in the '70s -- not a significant change. And fat as a percentage of calories in a person's daily diet is actually lower than it was 20 years ago.

According to Rick Mattes, Professor in the Foods and Nutrition Department at Purdue University, "people are drinking more calories than ever before, but they are not adjusting what they eat to compensate for those calories." Research conducted by Mattes supports his belief that increased beverage consumption is causally related to obesity.

"The good news," says Mattes, "is that beverage consumption is modifiable. You really can change how much and what you drink."

The bottom line: be cautious with the amounts of regular soda, fruit juice, specialty teas and coffees, and sports drinks that you drink on a daily basis.

Information obtained from Focus: Consumer and Family Sciences, Purdue University, Winter 1999, pp. 7, 9.

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.