News Releases & Statements

American Beverage Association Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2010

Contact:
ABA Press Office
(202) 463-6770

AMERICAN BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION STATEMENT

In response to an abstract presented today at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease, Epidemiology and Prevention, Dr. Maureen Storey, senior vice president for science policy for the American Beverage Association, said:

"When it comes to risk for diabetes or heart disease, there is nothing unique about the calories from sugar-sweetened beverages - calories that contribute about 5 percent of our daily caloric intake according to a National Cancer Institute analysis of government data. Thus, this abstract and its findings must be kept in perspective. The abstract was presented at a scientific meeting, and has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Therefore it is inappropriate to comment on its methodology or findings as they are not available for review.

What we do know is that both heart disease and diabetes are complex problems with no single cause and no simple solutions. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes has many known risk factors, including family history, age, weight gain, central adiposity, ethnicity and incidence of gestational diabetes - nowhere in this list of risk factors is consuming sugar-sweetened beverages. When it comes to heart disease, the American Heart Association notes that the major risk factors are increasing age, gender (being male), genetics (including race) and being overweight. Again, consuming sugar-sweetened beverages is not a risk factor. While many risk factors are beyond our control, there are things we can do, including maintaining an appropriate body weight and being physically fit, to help mitigate risk for both diabetes and heart disease.

If we truly want to reduce incidence of these diseases, we need to stop looking to simplistic solutions that will have no effect. Rather, we need to continue to educate Americans about the importance of balancing the calories from the foods and beverages we eat and drink with regular physical activity. These are the keys to living a balanced lifestyle - something the beverage industry supports and encourages by offering a wide variety of no- and low-calorie beverages, providing easy access to calorie and nutrition information and promoting physical activity."

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The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States.

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