“This replicates and reinforces what we already know about sugary drinks. However, this finding also shows that sugary drinks pose a serious cost to health and productivity, especially in Africa and Latin America. It highlights that
This study detailed an interesting pattern in sugary drink intake. For example, researchers found that men consumed soda at slightly higher rates than women. Intake was particularly high among highly educated people in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. In contrast, the study found that in the Middle East and North Africa, consumption of carbonated drinks was higher among adults with lower levels of education. South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia had the lowest rates of excess sugar-related cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The study found that beverage consumption was included, but the authors noted that the data did not include sugary tea and coffee, which are popular in these parts of the world.
Laura Lara Castor, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Washington and the other lead author of the Nature study, said the higher consumption rates among educated adults in sub-Saharan Africa are partly due to Western It said it reflects the temptation of aspirations for soft drink brands related to taste. and style — the result of a sophisticated and well-funded advertising campaign by a multinational beverage company.
“Drinking these drinks is often a sign of status,” she said.
Despite the study's grim results, Dr. Lara Castor and the other authors said the data also contain reasons for hope. Soda consumption in Latin America and the Caribbean has already begun to decline, thanks in part to policies such as soda taxes, marketing restrictions, and package labels that seek to educate consumers about the dangers of sugary products. (In the United States, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption has been declining since its peak in 2000, but that decline has nearly leveled out in recent years.)
More than 80 countries have adopted measures aimed at reducing consumption of sugary drinks.
Paula Johns, executive director of Brazilian advocacy group ACT Health Promotion, said the Nature survey showed that education alone is not enough to dampen consumers' enthusiasm for sugary drinks. In recent years, Brazil has adopted a number of policies that are beginning to undermine the public's love for highly processed foods and sugary drinks, she said. These include improvements to school lunch programs, bold front-of-pack warnings, and a new excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
“There is no silver bullet,” she said. “But all these policies taken together help send the message to the public that sugary drinks are really bad for your health.”
