One study referred to America's obsession with sugared drinks as "America's hidden drinking problem," with four out of five children and two out of three adults drinking sugar-sweetened beverages daily, whether sodas, sugary waters or so-called sports drinks. According to research at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and elsewhere, sugared beverages are the leading source of added sugar in the diet of young Americans. In his book The World is Fat, Barry Popkin claims that the average American gets 400 calories a day from beverages alone.
According to Hart, Mayo Clinic trained physician and author of several best-selling health and nutrition books including The Insulin Resistance Diet, the medical evidence is clear. "'You are what you drink' may be truer than 'you are what you eat,'" she said. "Junk drinks - sweetened beverages such as sodas, sugary waters, and sports drinks - may pose even more serious problems in terms of obesity and related health problems than junk foods. And artificially sweetened drinks are also implicated in weight gain. The solution is clear: Americans need to get back to drinking water, and nutritionally enhanced waters ... are the best choice." Hart points to several recent studies that confirm the link between obesity, disease, and "junk drinks."