The American Beverage Association (ABA) today announced the election of 10 members to its Board of Directors.

“We congratulate Mrs. Obama and PHA on its new initiative encouraging people to drink water,” said ABA President and CEO Susan Neely. “Staying hydrated is important to staying in balance, and bottled water provides people with a convenient and popular choice. By supporting this new initiative, our industry is once again leading with meaningful ways to achieve a balanced lifestyle.”

“It is a leap to suggest that drinking soda causes these or any other behavioral issue. The science does not support that conclusion. The authors themselves note that their study 'is not able to identify the nature of the association between soft drinks and problem behaviors.’ Importantly, our member companies do not promote or market the consumption of soft drinks to children in the age group examined in this study.”

“The findings of this mouse study must be viewed within context. These mice were fed a diet that included a fructose and glucose mixture – not a sugar-sweetened beverage – every single day from infancy until the end of their lives. This is not a reflection of real life for humans.”

“Overweight and obesity are caused by an imbalance between calories consumed from all foods and beverages (total diet) and calories burned (physical activity).  Therefore, it is misleading to suggest that beverage consumption is uniquely responsible for weight gain among this group of children, especially at a time in their lives when they would normally gain weight and grow.”

“This is an opinion piece not a scientific study.  Low-calorie sweeteners are some of the most studied and reviewed ingredients in the food supply today.  They are safe and an effective tool in weight loss and weight management, according to decades of scientific research and regulatory agencies around the globe.”  

“We commend the USDA for its thorough work in developing the first-ever national standards for all foods and beverages in schools which largely follow the guidelines implemented voluntarily by our industry beginning in 2006. As a result of the industry’s voluntary efforts, we have reduced beverage calories shipped to schools by 90 percent.”

"The woman referenced in this article did not receive dental health services for more than 20 years - two-thirds of her life. To single out diet soda consumption as the unique factor in her tooth decay and erosion - and to compare it to that from illicit drug use - is irresponsible. The body of available science does not support that beverages are a unique factor in causing tooth decay or erosion. However, we do know that brushing and flossing our teeth, along with making regular visits to the dentist, play a very important role in preventing them."

“This study does not prove that regular soft drinks cause type 2 diabetes.  Leading health organizations agree that the known risk factors for type 2 diabetes include being overweight or obese, race or ethnicity, increasing age, lack of physical activity and family history of diabetes.”

The American Beverage Association (ABA) announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors.  The new members are: Zein Abdalla, president of PepsiCo, and Tim Brown, president and chief executive officer of Nestlé Waters North America, Inc.