Soda Consumption - YouthSoda Consumption - Youth in United StatesUnited States
Soda Consumption - Youth
United States
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United States Value:
9.3%
Percentage of high school students who reported drinking a can, bottle or glass of soda or pop two or more times per day in the past week
Soda Consumption - Youth in depth:
Appears In:
Soda Consumption - Youth by State
Percentage of high school students who reported drinking a can, bottle or glass of soda or pop two or more times per day in the past week
Soda Consumption - Youth Trends
Percentage of high school students who reported drinking a can, bottle or glass of soda or pop two or more times per day in the past week
Trend: Soda Consumption - Youth in United States, 2022 Health Of Women And Children Report
Percentage of high school students who reported drinking a can, bottle or glass of soda or pop two or more times per day in the past week
United States
Source:
CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
View All Populations
Soda Consumption - Youth
Trend: Soda Consumption - Youth in United States, 2022 Health Of Women And Children Report
Percentage of high school students who reported drinking a can, bottle or glass of soda or pop two or more times per day in the past week
United States
Source:
CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
About Soda Consumption - Youth
US Value: 9.3%
Top State(s): Nevada: 5.5%
Bottom State(s): West Virginia: 20.6%
Definition: Percentage of high school students who reported drinking a can, bottle or glass of soda or pop two or more times per day in the past week
Data Source and Years: CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 2019
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.
Reducing sugary drink consumption is a public health concern worldwide. It has little to no nutritional value and is associated with many adverse health outcomes. An 8-ounce serving of carbonated soda contains about 24-30 grams of added sugar, more than an entire day’s recommended sugar intake.
The United States has made some progress in reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption; however, 6 in 10 youth still consumed a sugar-sweetened drink daily between 2011 and 2014. Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to an increased risk of multiple diseases, including obesity, tooth decay, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes. A recent study found that frequent soda consumption was associated with increased aggressive behavior among early adolescents. Among 5-year-olds, soda consumption was linked to aggressive and withdrawn behaviors and attention issues.
Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is higher among:
- Teenage boys compared with teenage girls.
- Black, Hispanic, white and multiracial children compared with Asian children.
Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among youth requires a multipronged approach and a commitment to the effort from families, schools and communities. Examples of strategies to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among children and adolescents include:
- Implementing the Smart Snacks in School program, which sets a national nutrition requirement for all snacks sold in schools and includes limits on sugar.
- Reducing portion sizes of sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Implementing marketing policies and practices in school zones for soda and sugar-sweetened beverages. According to one study, students in school districts with restrictions on soda products and advertisements had decreased odds of consuming soda regularly.
- Limiting exposure to marketing via social media, computers, television and video games.
- Implementing a sugar-sweetened beverage tax and advertisement warning labels addressing the health-related costs of added sugar.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers several tips for breaking soda consumption habits and making healthier beverage choices.
Healthy People 2030 has a goal to reduce the consumption of calories from added sugars by people ages 2 and older.
Bernstein, Adam M., Lawrence de Koning, Alan J. Flint, Kathryn M. Rexrode, and Walter C. Willett. 2012. “Soda Consumption and the Risk of Stroke in Men and Women.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 95 (5): 1190–99. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.030205.
Chazelas, Eloi, Bernard Srour, Elisa Desmetz, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Chantal Julia, Valérie Deschamps, Nathalie Druesne-Pecollo, et al. 2019. “Sugary Drink Consumption and Risk of Cancer: Results from NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort.” BMJ 366 (July). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l2408.
Merlo, Caitlin L., Sherry Everett Jones, Shannon L. Michael, Tiffany J. Chen, Sarah A. Sliwa, Seung Hee Lee, Nancy D. Brener, Sarah M. Lee, and Sohyun Park. 2020. “Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019.” MMWR Supplements 69 (1): 64–76. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su6901a8.
Miller, Gabrielle F., Sarah Sliwa, Nancy D. Brener, Sohyun Park, and Caitlin L. Merlo. 2016. “School District Policies and Adolescents’ Soda Consumption.” Journal of Adolescent Health 59 (1): 17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.02.003.
Miller, Gabrielle, Caitlin Merlo, Zewditu Demissie, Sarah Sliwa, and Sohyun Park. 2017. “Trends in Beverage Consumption Among High School Students — United States, 2007–2015.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 66 (4): 112–16. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6604a5.
Mrug, Sylvie, LaRita C. Jones, Marc N. Elliott, Susan R. Tortolero, Melissa F. Peskin, and Mark A. Schuster. 2020. “Soft Drink Consumption and Mental Health in Adolescents: A Longitudinal Examination.” Journal of Adolescent Health 68 (1): 155–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.05.034.
Roberto, Christina A., and Jennifer L. Pomeranz. 2015. “Public Health and Legal Arguments in Favor of a Policy to Cap the Portion Sizes of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages.” American Journal of Public Health 105 (11): 2183–90. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302862.
Singh, Gitanjali M. 2017. “Soda Consumption Among Adolescents: Implications for Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” American Journal of Public Health 107 (7): 1025–27. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303855.
Suglia, Shakira F., Sara Solnick, and David Hemenway. 2013. “Soft Drinks Consumption Is Associated with Behavior Problems in 5-Year-Olds.” The Journal of Pediatrics 163 (5): 1323–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.06.023.
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