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US Soda Sales Drop for 12th Straight Year

  • April 20, 2017

Soda makers are probably singing the beverage blues this year, with reports that sales decreased again by about 1.2 percent in the U.S., making it the 12th year in a row for a decline. Reuters attributed it to consumers choosing healthier options and a “slew of sugar taxes aimed at stemming obesity and diabetes.” To make up for their plummeting sales, beverage companies boosted their profits by charging higher prices for smaller containers, Reuters said.

The other thing soda giants are doing to offset sinking sales is to shift their marketing south of the border to Mexico, and to countries in Africa. For example, Coca-Cola's projected investment in Mexico between 2010 and 2020 is $12.4 billion. During that same time frame, they're also investing $17 billion to further soda sales in Africa.

So far in Mexico, the strategy is working: In 2013, Mexico had the highest per capita consumption of soda in the world, with the average Mexican downing 135 liters of the sweet stuff each year. Between 1999 and 2006, calories from soda tripled in certain age groups — and childhood obesity and diabetes rates have seen a steady climb.

This is a travesty, as preliminary research suggests sugary beverages are to blame for about 183,000 deaths worldwide each year, including 133,000 diabetes deaths, 44,000 heart disease deaths and 6,000 cancer deaths. What’s worse, among the 35 largest countries in the world, Mexico had the highest death rates associated with sugary beverage consumption.

You can join the growing number of people saying “no” to soda by switching to clean, pure water. If you need some flavor, try adding a squirt of lime or lemon juice to still or sparkling water. Tea is another option. If you find it difficult to quit, try the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), A version referred to as Turbo Tapping tends to be particularly useful for eliminating soda addiction in a short amount of time.