Study Links Sugary Drinks to High Death Tolls around the World

Most people probably understand that drinking too many sugary drinks is not good for their health. Now a group of researchers from Tufts University in Boston have published a study in the medical journal, Circulation, which puts the death toll from consuming sugary drinks at 180,000 adult deaths each year worldwide. Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D. Dr.P.H., is the senior author of the study and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University in Boston. It is his belief that “It should be a global priority to substantially reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet.”

This is the first detailed, global report covering the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages and it looks at estimated deaths and disabilities from diabetes, heart disease and cancers. Researchers looked at 62 dietary surveys that included 611,971 individuals which were conducted between 1980 and 2010 in 51 countries. They calculated the direct impact on diabetes and the obesity-related effects of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Mexico had the highest death rate could be attributed to sugary beverages with approximately 405 deaths per million adults (24,000 total deaths) and the U.S. was next, with more than 125 deaths per million adults (25,000 total deaths). The majority of the deaths attributable to sugary drinks occurred in low to middle income countries.

What we are doing to staunch to problem

Given that the American Heart Association says that sugar sweetened beverages are the biggest source of added sugars in the American diet, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee also recommended that people replace sugary drinks and sodas with milk and 100 percent fruit juices.

Last year, New York City’s then-mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to ban large sugary drinks (over 16 ounces) in the city, but the New York Court of Appeals struck it down calling it illegal, and said that the law exceeded the scope of its regulatory authority. The city’s current mayor, Bill de Blasio, in his disappointment with the ruling said “We cannot turn our backs on the high rates of obesity and diabetes that adversely impact the lives of so many of our residents. While we are still examining the Court’s decision, it is our responsibility to address the causes of this epidemic, and the City is actively reviewing all of its options to protect the health and well-being of our communities.”

The American Beverage Association has dismissed the study, saying “This study does not show that consuming sugar-sweetened beverages causes chronic diseases and the authors themselves acknowledge that they are at best estimating the effects of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.”

Changing the law will not change people’s behavior. All that can be done is to make sure that people are educated about the negative impact of sugar on their health and then let them make their own choices.