Stop the Pop to Lose the Weight

Barry Popkin, a nutrition expert who has advised the US government and health officials around the world, thinks that sugary drinks should be taxed and a levy should increase the price of pop until societies wean themselves from it. "If that tax added even 15 or 20 percent to the cost, it would have a significant effect on weaning society off sugary drinks,” says Popkin.

Popkin says that obesity rates can be slowed dramatically if societies quench our thirst of soft drinks to water. This in turn would cut approximately 300-600 calories from a daily diet.

"Depending on the country you live in, we now have between 10 and 25 percent of all calories consumed in sugary or caloric beverages," Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, told Reuters during a visit to Europe. “It's not the sole cause of the global obesity problem, but it's the thing we can change with the least affect on people's food intake."

There is little doubt that rising obesity levels are increasing and overwhelming the health care system and governments all over the world. Chronic diseases from excess weight such as diabetes has reached epidemic levels with 180 million diabetes sufferers around the world. The problem is getting worse as American diabetes rates are expected to triple in the next 25 years.

Popkin thinks we can make the biggest difference on obesity by educating people on the impact of high-sugar drinks rather than promoting exercise and healthier eating. Popkin says that changing people's drinking habits is a viable way of fighting fat. Replace the pop, turn on the tap and drink a minimum 2-3 litres of water per day for an easy, effective solution to weight loss.