New Study Links Soft Drinks to Diabetes and Death

Soda drinker? Well, if you're not already concerned about the effect the sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are having on your waistline, a new study may make you think twice about popping the tab on that can of Coca-Cola.

At the American Heart Association's annual conference, researchers from the University of California presented results from a study that found American consumption of soft-drinks is leading to tens of thousands of new cases of diabetes — and thousands of premature deaths.

Soft drinks were linked to 130,000 new cases of diabetes over the ten-year period, and the sugary drinks were found to be responsible for 6,000 excess deaths.

Despite these findings, there are still industry lobbying groups, like the Corn Refiners Association, that claim that sugary beverages aren't responsible for rising rates of obesity and diabetes. To maintain that stance, the group is ignoring more and more evidence to the contrary.

Recent research has found that taxing junk food is an effective way to encourage consumers to make healthier food choices, and some believe this tax should apply first and foremost to soda and other sugar-laden beverages too.

If there's any doubt about the health advantages such a tax would yield, here's what the lead researcher of the California study referenced above has to say: "If such a tax could curb the consumption of these drinks, the health benefits could be dramatic."

It seems that for our own health -- and more importantly, for the health of the nation's children -- a tax on sugary beverages may be both the most viable and effective answer to curbing our nation's craving for these drinks.

Photo credit: poolie