In the plant-based diet the sugar came from whole fruits. You have to talk about foods. The popular diet books that encourage us to restrict carbohydrate consumption are oversimplifying an issue on which more research is clearly needed. In 1997 we drank twice as much soda as milk and six times as much soda as fruit juice. Every soft drink consumed is a missed opportunity to drink milk or fruit juice that could help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Overweight teens get a larger percentage of their calories from soft drinks than do other teens.
Serving sizes for soft drinks have increased from the 6.5 ounce bottle in the 1950's to 20-ounce bottles sold in convenience stores today. Nutrition Action Healthletter, November 1998. The article in Nutrition Action Healthletter contained inaccurate figures on soft drink consumption that were later corrected. The fifth edition of the dietary guidelines is due in the year 2000. The committee charged with revisions met in Washington, DC in October to begin the process.