People who are physically active or live in hot climates need even more water to replace sweat loss. Exercise experts recommend drinking water while doing physical activity to prevent a shortage of water. Many people chose soft drinks as a source of fluid. The average American drinks as many gallons of soft drinks yearly as he drinks of water. However, soft drinks contain empty calories, artificial colorings and flavorings, and have as many as 6 teaspoons of sugar in one 8 ounce drink.
Some soft drinks contain an artificial sweetener called aspartame.
This lowers the calories per serving but does not increase the nutritional value. Soft drinks containing caffeine draw water from the body, and those containing sodium cause the body to hold water. Alcohol also may cause fluid loss and add empty calories to the diet. All of these factors can contribute to dehydration, which is a shortage of water in the body. Some dieters drink fluids during meals and throughout the day to help avoid filling up on extra calories.