Many people have their favorite soda. Mine is Mountain Dew, pretty much the worst of them all. I only drink them every once in awhile but I am completely aware how bad they are for me. Sugary drinks are not good for your body. They are mostly filled with caffeine, calories, chemicals, and of course, A LOT of sugar. If you drink a lot of sugary drinks, it will cause weight gain, poor sleep cycle, and may make you crave more food.
Obesity is a huge problem in the U.S. We consume huge amounts of sugary drinks. Just think of the largest size drink you can get at the typical fast food place. It's pretty big and some people will finish that and get a refill.
Many people will get upset if the government limits sugary drink sizes. Take a second and think about the U.S. major health problems- obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. These can be limited if people stop consuming large amounts of sugary drinks (and of course, unhealthy foods).
In 2018, Baltimore signed "Healthy Kids Meals Bill". This bill makes restaurants limit the drinks they can give to children. The drinks must have no added sweeteners. If restaurants fail to do this, they could face a $100 fine. In my opinion, children shouldn't be given sugary drinks. I was allowed to have Kool-Aid with as much sugar as I wanted in it when I was a kid and I had to get 5 teeth pulled. That was before we knew the outcomes of frequent sugary drink consumption. Children do not need tons of sugar, caffeine, and all the unnecessary chemicals in them. Adults don't need them either!
Will limiting sugary drinks really work? The answer is yes. In 2015, the city of Berkeley, CA passed a penny-per-pound excise tax on sugary drinks. Within 3 years of implementing that, sugary drink consumption decreased by more than 50 percent. The tax money from this excise went to nutrition education and gardening programs in the local schools.
Cities around the nation talk about sugary drink bans. People are realizing that soda and other drinks with artificial ingredients and sugars in them will cause health issues. Even though there are plenty of sugary drink consumers that will be angry if this happens in their city, it will create healthier people.
So, what do you think of limiting sugary drinks?
