As you might have read on FoodNavigator.com recently, more evidence has surfaced solidifying the fact that the science around the health impacts of drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is far from rock solid.  In fact, researchers led by Douglas Weed of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health published a paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which found that studies attempting to link sugar-sweetened beverages to health problems were of poor quality.  The article reads:

“The researchers, wrote that controversial topics with important implications for public health, like the effect of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on health, need good quality, rigorous scientific reviews to ensure that scientific and public health decisions are built on a solid foundation.

However, they found that reviews published over the past decade linking SSB consumption with obesity, metabolic syndrome, type-2 diabetes and coronary heart disease were of moderate low-quality overall.”

When it comes to the calories in beverages, they’re no different than any other food.  We know that people understand that making conscious decisions about diet and exercise keeps them healthy and active.