Position of the Health Association of
America Regarding the Health Benefits
of Drinking Water Versus Carbonated
Beverages.
By
Stephen Burgin
May 10, 2003
For
Prof. Hoyer
Communications 327
Position of the Health Association of America Regarding the
Health Benefits of Drinking Water Versus Carbonated Beverages.
Position Statement
The position of the Health Association of America is that people should drink
more water instead of drinking soft drinks.
Introduction
Since 1798, people have been exposed to “soda water,” ironically named after the
product that it would eventually replace as the drink of choice. Since 1885, people have
been drinking Dr. Pepper. In 1886, Dr. John S. Pemberton invented “Coca-Cola” and
since 1898 people have been drinking “Pepsi-Cola.” (Bellis, 2002) There are many other
forms of what we now call soft drinks that people consume every day. Even though these
products are familiar and natural to us, they are exactly not that, natural. Water has been
around since the dawn of time. Seventy-five percent of our bodies are made up of water.
Water is our real natural drink. There are no additives in water, no coloration, no sugars,
no fat, and no calories. As you will see, water has many health benefits that far out weigh
any benefits to that of drinking a soft drink. The Health Association of America strongly
believes that the first step to loosing weight, lowering cholesterol, and improving your
overall health begins with giving your body the right nutrients and care that it needs. This
is why we support and encourage the drinking of water.
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Background
Water was created thousands of years ago while soft drinks were created in the
1790s. Today, it is so easy to put some quarters in the vending machine and buy a soft
drink to quench your thirst. But is that soft drink really quenching your thirst? You are
paying for something the media and companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are telling you
that you want, and if you don’t have it then you will not be satisfied. With the
introduction of the automatic vending machine in the early 1920s, soft drink companies
made their products readily available (NSDA, 1999). Our culture has taught us that it is
normal to drink things loaded down with sugar and caffeine to keep you going. Yes, it is
true that caffeine and sugar are natural stimulants. Soon the “high” will go away and the
tiredness will come back. Then, you will have to buy another one to keep you going.
Water is a great alternative to this problem. It is free and doesn’t contain all of the
stimulants that will eventually make your drowsiness worse. There are even sports drinks
out there that are better than soft drinks, but still have all of those harmful sugars and
additives that water doesn’t have. There is a simple solution to quenching thirst and
staying healthy at the same time. That simple solution is to drink water instead of
drinking soft drinks.
Discussion
Water, what is it made of? Water is made of the two elements - Hydrogen and
Oxygen. Both are elements that we breathe. The two molecules of hydrogen combine
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with the one atom of oxygen to make what we know of as water. Water is all-natural and
is being created and re-created all around us, everyday. The clouds, rain, lakes, rivers,
and seas are all a part of this natural process. Soft drinks, on the other hand are created
every day by big machines in factories that mix chemicals like citric acid sodium
benzoate, sodium citrate, brominated vegetable oil, and gum arabic erythorbic acid
(Pepsi.com, 2002). “Soft drinks… typically add unneeded calories to the diet or replace
nutritious foods, such as low-fat milk or fruit, without providing significant levels of
nutrients” (Jacobson, 2000). There are many things in soft drinks that your body doesn’t
need such as calories, sodium, sugars, or caffeine. Your body already has enough of these
things from eating normal foods such as certain breads, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables.
When you get to many of these nutrients or additives they turn into dead weight that your
body stores as fat.
“Medically, caffeine is useful as a cardiac stimulant and also as a mild diuretic (it
increases urine production). Recreationally, it is used to provide a “boost of energy” or a
feeling of heightened alertness. It’s often used to stay awake longer – college students
and drivers use it to stay awake lat into the night. Many people feel as though they
“cannot function” in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the
boost it gives them. Caffeine is an addictive drug. Among its many actions, it operates
using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine and heroin use to stimulate the
brain. On a spectrum, caffeine’s effects are more mild than amphetamines, cocaine and
heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels and that is one of the things that gives
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caffeine its addictive qualities. If you feel like you cannot function without it and must
consume it every day, then you are addicted to caffeine” (Brain, 2002).
Caffeine, being a stimulant, can pose a huge negative effect on the youth of our
nation. “One reflection of the drug’s addictiveness is that when children age six to 12
stop consuming caffeine, they suffer withdrawal symptoms that impair their attention
span and performance.” (J. Am. Acad., 1998)
Water’s health benefits are clear. There is zero percent total fat, sodium,
carbohydrates, and calories. There is no caffeine, no sodium benzoates, and no
concentrates. Whereas, soft drinks are filled with all of these additives that can increase
the levels of natural chemicals in your body, potentially causing harm.
Suggestions
The Health Association of America believes that water is not only a healthy
alternative to drinking soft drinks, but is the best alternative. The youth of America are
not getting the correct nutrients that they need and HAA believes that the consumption of
soft drinks is mainly to blame. USDA’s Healthy Eating Index found that on a scale of 0100, teenagers had scores in the low 60s (as did most other age-sex groups). Scores
between 51 and 80 indicate that a diet “needs improvement” (USDA, 1998). “Water is an
essential nutrient required for life. The average sedentary adult man must consume at
least 2,900 mL (12 cups) of fluid per day to be well hydrated,, and the average sedentary
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adult woman at least 2,200 mL (9 cups) of fluid (Kleiner, 1999). Soft drinks are not
healthy alternatives to drinking water and in no way should substitute.
Suggested Course of Action
There are many different options to enable you to drink water and not harm your
health by drinking soft drinks. There are many companies that make bottled water. The
different types of bottled water range from normal drinking water, vitamin fortified
water, and even flavored water. The expense of buying one soft drink a day at 65 cents
for one year adds up $166.40, and now the prices have gone up. Think about how much
money you would be saving if you were to drink from the water fountain instead of
putting that money in the vending machine. You might say that you want something to
carry with you while you’re on the go. Well, you can fill a water bottle with water and
take it wherever you go. When you run out you can refill it for free at a water-fountain.
You might say that your local water is nasty or tastes flat. These problems can all be
fixed by contacting the right authority figures. But for the mean time you can buy a water
filtration unit from your local grocery or super store. These items cost anywhere from
$12 to $50, depending on what you want. You can even have a filtration unit installed in
your house like a water heater that filters all of your water. “U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) regulations, coupled with state and industry standards, offer
consumers assurance that the bottled water they purchase is stringently regulated, tested
and of the highest quality.” (IBWA, 2002)
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It is much better to drink water or the alternatives, bottled water, flavored water,
or filtered water than to drink the soft drinks provided you by the super market. It also
costs less and is healthier for you to do this. So please begin to drink water next time
instead of just ordering a coke when you go out to a restaurant. Water is usually free at
many restaurants. “Parents and health officials need to recognize soft drinks for what they
really are – liquid candy – and do everything possible to return those beverages to their
former, reasonable role as an occasional treat” (Jacobson, 2002). Next time when you are
drinking that soft drink think of how many unwanted chemicals are in there and how
water has none of those.
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.
References
Bellis, Mary. 2002. The History of Pop TimeLine. http://www.about.com/.
Brain, Marshall. 2002. How Caffeine Works. How Stuff Works Cd-Rom.
International Bottled Water Association, 2002. Regulations.
http://www.bottledwater.org/.
Jacobson, Michael F., PhD, and Kelly D. Brownell, PhD. 2000. Small Taxes on Soft
Drinks and Snack Foods to Promote Health. Vol. 90, No. 6, pg. 854.
Jacobson, Michael F., PhD. 2002. Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming
Americans’ Health. Journal of American Child Adolescence Psychiatry. 1998. Ch. 37
pgs. 858-865.
Kleiner, Susan M., PhD, RD. 1999. Journal of the American Dietetic Association –
February 1999 Abstract – Water: An essential but overlooked nutrient. 99: pgs. 200206.
National Soft Drink Association. 1999. The History of America and Soft Drinks Go
Hand in Hand. http://www.nsda.org/.
Pepsi.com. 2002. Help / Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.pepsiworld.com/.
USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. July 1998. The Healthy Eating Index,
1994-96, CNPP-5.
Credit: Position Paper written by Stephen Burgin
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