EXTENSION REPORT

You are What You Eat -- and Drink.

Those who point the accusing finger at fried foods and sweets as culprits behind America's burgeoning obesity rates are right to do so, but they often overlook another big contributor -- high-calorie beverages.

Recently, the New York Times' Jane Brody reported that 21 percent of the calories consumed by Americans beyond age 2 are derived from beverages. Therein lies part of the problem associated with spiking U.S. obesity rates, nutritionists contend. Also, while these beverages often hit the spot in terms of quenching thirst, many are lacking, if not downright worthless, in nutritional value. In fact, Brody notes a steep increase in the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks in recent decades at the expense of healthier fare, such as milk, which offers "clear nutritional benefits."

If this isn't a big enough problem, add to this the growing American passion for smoothies and sweetened coffee drinks. For example, Brody observes that there are 240 calories in a 16-ounce Starbucks Coffee mocha without the whipped cream.

It's not just the high calories, though. Add to the list the weak satiety properties associated with many of these products. What this means is that while these drinks contribute a lot to your daily caloric intake, they do little in terms of suppressing appetite.

"So, even after consuming these drinks, we still want to eat as we ate before, even though we consumed up to 500 calories in beverages," says Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutrition and health specialist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science, who has been a vocal critic of these high-calorie drinks as a staple in the American diet.

The consequences for millions of Americans are steady weight gain and, in all too many cases, chronic obesity.

Ironically, not all of these beverages are devoid of nutritional value. Some actually can play a role within a balanced diet, particularly among healthy Americans who occasionally encounter some difficulties in the course of the day incorporating the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables into their diet. Even so, people with weight problems should limit their intake of these high-calorie fruit juices, Keith says.

"If you have weight concerns, then you do need to pay close attention to what they're saying about high-calorie drinks," he says. "Fruit juices, for example, contain lots of valuable nutrients, but if you're popping 120 calories with each 8-ounce glass of fruit juice, you may be adding a lot of calories to your intake in the course of the day."

Consumers assume that with this regular consumption of juices, they're getting the equivalent of several servings of fruits and vegetables -- and they are right, Keith says. The problem is that they're also getting hundreds of calories that "your brain may not even be registering," he says, adding that "you're going to eat on top of that, [which] may contribute to your weight gain," Keith says.

Despite the calorie problems associated with more nutritious fruit and vegetable drinks, as well as milk, he says the real culprits remain the high-calorie sodas and sugar-sweetened, fruit-flavored drinks that remain so popular. Consuming several of these may add up to 500 or 600 calories a day, even though most people need only a total caloric intake of between 1,800 and 2,400 calories a day.

That's why if you have weight concerns, you should pay close attention to these beverages' caloric content, Keith says.

Email address: cbivins@aces.edu
Phone: 937-7176 or 943-5611, 928-0860, ext. 2222

 Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.