The American Diabetic Association (ADA) is suddenly countering decades
of scientific studies that have consistently linked diets high in sugar
to diabetes. In a May 16 interview, Richard Kahn, the chief scientific
and medical officer with the ADA said "What is the evidence that sugar
itself has anything to do with diabetes? There is no evidence."
Coincidentally, last month, the ADA announced a "three-year,
multi-million dollar alliance" with Cadbury Schweppes, which is the
third largest producer of soft drinks in the world.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/scho...etes051705.cfm

Source: Tufts University
Date: 2005-05-27
URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0527111920.htm

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Preliminary Data Suggest That Soda And Sweet Drinks Are The Main Source
Of Calories In American Diet
Tufts researchers recently reported that while the leading source of
calories in the average American diet used to be from white bread, that
may have changed. Now, according to preliminary research conducted by
scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on
Aging at Tufts University, Americans are drinking these calories
instead. The research was presented in abstract form at the
Experimental Biology Conference in April of this year and a more
comprehensive paper is being developed.

Odilia Bermudez, PhD, MPH, studied the reported diets of a large
nationwide sample of American adults. Among respondents to the
1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES),
more than two thirds reported drinking enough soda and/or sweet drinks
to provide them with a greater proportion of daily calories than any
other food. In addition, obesity rates were higher among these sweet
drink consumers. Consumers of 100% orange juice and low fat milk, on
the other hand, tended to be less overweight, on average.

Bermudez, who is also an assistant professor at Tufts University's
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, is hopeful that, "by
helping to identify the main sources of excess energy in the American
diet, this work may contribute to the development of much-needed
strategies to combat obesity in the American public."

"These results are startling," she continued, "and indicate that we
need a much better understanding of how the American diet has changed.
Our paper will look more closely at the issue of sweet drink
consumption and its relation to obesity factors among three of the main
ethnic groups included in the national surveys: African Americans,
Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites."


###
Experimental Biology 2005, San Diego. Abstract # 839.5 Bermudez, O.,
"Consumption of sweet drinks among American adults from the NHANES
1999-2000."