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New research offers yet another reason why Americans should cut back on their soda consumption: Drinking too many sugary beverages may increase the risk of death from cancer.

"Unfortunately, Americans exceed recommended limits on sugar consumption by ...

Images of fat-laden, diseased hearts and blackened, rotting feet might be the last thing you expect to see on the label of a can of soda that your child desperately wants, but would such drastic health warnings about the long-term dangers of sugar stop you from buying it?

Yes, suggests new research that finds parents were 17 percentage points less likely to buy sugary beverages if confron...

Online grocery shopping has skyrocketed during the pandemic, but many websites are making it hard to find nutrition information on products, a new study shows.

In the United States, packaged foods are required to have a nutrition facts label, ingredients list and w...

Trying to slim down? Diet drinks aren't likely to help, researchers warn.

And those containing the artificial sweetener sucralose may even increase food cravings and appetite in women and people who are obese, according to a University of Southern California study.

"There...

Sugar is killing Americans in droves, according to researchers who found that reducing the sweetener in packaged foods and beverages could prevent more than 2 million strokes, heart attacks and cardiac arrests.

Less sugary packaged foods and drinks would also curb nearly a half-million heart-related deaths and an even greater number of diabetes cases in the United States, according to the...

You'll get more than a day's worth of added sugars when you pour a soda fountain drink at most U.S. restaurant chains, a new report finds.

Even small-sized drinks exceed recommended guidelines, said researchers at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

For the study, CSPI researchers examined levels of added sugar in full-calorie soda fountain drinks at the top 20 re...

Planning to celebrate the Fourth of July with a traditional Southern-style spread of fried chicken, pork rinds, buttermilk biscuits and sweet tea?

Don't make it an everyday habit.

These staples of a regional diet heavy in fried foods, fats and sugary drinks may boost your odds for sudden cardiac death, a new study warns.

The good news: You might be able to lower that risk by ...

Rates of colon cancer among young Americans are on the rise, and a new study suggests that drinking too many sugary beverages may be to blame -- at least for women.

Women who drank two or more sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, fruity drinks or sports and energy drinks per day had double the risk of developing colon cancer before the age of 50, compared to women who consumed one or ...

Whether it's takeout or dining in, lives filled with lots of restaurant fare could turn out to be shorter, new research shows.

The study found that dining out frequently -- two or more meals prepared away from home each day -- is tied to an increased risk of death from any cause.

One nutritionist who wasn't involved in the study said the findings come as little surprise.

"Many...

After a short-lived tax on sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages was repealed, consumption of sugary drinks in an Illinois County escalated again, according to a new study.

The tax was pitched to reduce Cook County budget deficits. It lasted four months -- from Aug. 2 to Dec. 1, 2017, the researchers said.

"We know that the tax worked to bring down demand for swe...

The Trump administration rejected a scientific advisory group's advice Tuesday that people further reduce their added sugar and alcohol intake as part of the 2020 update to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

An independent advisory committee charged with helping the federal government update the guidelines issued its report in July. Noting the U.S. obesity epidemic and increasing rate...

It could be more than just added calories: New research gives insight into why sugary drinks are a leading cause of obesity.

Sugar-sweetened drinks are the largest source of calories from added sugar for U.S. adults, and researchers now report that the drinks also hinder hormones that quell hunger and regulate appetite.

"Our study found that when young adults consumed drinks contain...

If there was an Oscar for "most unhealthy food in a leading role," many of America's most popular movies would be serious contenders.

That's the conclusion of a new review of food content featured in 250 top-grossing U.S. movies. More often than not, the fictional food choices were so bad they wouldn't make the cut of real-world dietary recommendations, the study authors said.

"The ...

Replacing sugary drinks with diet versions may not be any healthier for the heart, a large, new study suggests.

French researchers found that people who regularly drank artificially sweetened beverages had a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, versus people who avoided those beverages. In fact, they were no less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people who regularly d...

Is your kid suddenly clamoring for a fast food meal or a sugary cereal you've never even heard of? He or she may have seen the product featured on a favorite "kid influencer" video.

In a new study, researchers viewed the top 50 kid influencer videos on YouTube and found that 9 out of 10 featured unhealthy foods. Nearly 1 in 3 promoted a fast-food chain.

But, what in the world is...

SUNDAY, Oct. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) - - COVID-19 may change the look of Halloween this year, but dressing up and indulging in some sweets is all part of the fun, even if your kids can't go door to door.

And experts say one night of eating candy won't have a big effect on your teeth if it's done in moderation.

"It is all about having self-control or parental control," sa...

Limiting marketing of high-sugar foods in supermarkets doesn't cut into store profits, but it may improve public health, Australian researchers report.

Price promotions, end-of-aisle displays and putting products at eye level can stimulate sales. Ending these practices reduced purchase of sugar-sweetened drinks and candy in participating stores by the equivalent to nearly two tons of...

Drinking lots of sugary beverages can wreak havoc on your health, but new research finds more Americans are turning away from those high-calorie drinks.

And that includes many people who used to drink large quantities of sweetened beverages -- the equivalent of 3.5 cans of soda daily.

"Our study found the percentage of children and adults who are heavy [sugar-sweetened bever...

Young people seldom say a food or drink is "too sweet." A new study suggests that may be because they're less sensitive to sugar than adults and prefer more of it.

Researchers found that compared to adults, kids and teens needed 40% more sugar in a solution to detect sweetness.

The researchers also found that young people have a bigger "sweet tooth" than adults, or prefe...

Americans may be heeding expert advice to reduce sugar intake. But instead of giving up sweets altogether, they're turning to certain sugar substitutes.

A new study found that between 2002 and 2018, purchases of packaged food products containing sucralose (Splenda) jumped from 39% to 71%. Purchases of products containing a newer type of sweetener -- rebaudioside A (Stevia, Tr...

Too much added sugar can pile on dangerous fat around your heart and in your abdomen, a new study finds.

"When we consume too much sugar, the excess is converted to fat and stored," said researcher So Yun Yi, a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health.

"This fat tissue located around the heart and in the abdomen releases chemicals into the bod...

U.S. children and teenagers are still downing too many "empty calories" -- primarily from sugary beverages, sweets and pizza, a new government study finds.

The study, based on a long-running federal health survey, did turn up some good news: In recent years, kids have been eating fewer empty calories, versus a decade before.

The bad news is, by 2016, those sources still acco...

Warning labels on sugary drinks may help people make healthier choices, a new study finds.

Sugary drinks are those with added sugar or sweeteners, including soda, sports drinks and fruit-flavored drinks.

"Our findings suggest that sugary drink warnings help consumers better understand products' healthfulness and encourage consumers to make healthier choices about what drin...

Drinking lots of sweetened soda may increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, two new studies find.

"Consumption of 500 milliliters [16.9 fluid ounces] of a commercially available soft drink sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup increased vascular resistance in the kidneys within 30 minutes," the researchers found.

In a second study, the investigators found...

Women who drink a lot of sodas, sweetened juices and other sugary drinks are at greater risk of developing heart disease, a new study finds.

Those who drink one or more a day have nearly a 20% higher risk than women who never do. And it's not just soda that's problematic: Fruit drinks with added sugars are also a culprit, researchers say.

Though the study does not pro...

Like your sweets really sweet? Try enjoying them with a cup o' joe.

Coffee makes sweet foods taste even sweeter, a new study shows.

European researchers tested 156 volunteers' sense of taste and smell before and after they drank coffee. Their sensitivity to smell didn't change, but coffee did heighten their sense of taste.

And this was true whether they dra...

Sugar-sweetened drinks can play havoc with your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, a new study finds.

Specifically, drinking more than 12 ounces (1 standard can) of sugary sodas or fruit drinks a day may not bode well for your cardiovascular health, researchers say.

"Think before you drink. There is accumulating evi...

Chicago's brief and now-defunct soda tax did cut the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, a new study finds, along with raising funds for public health initiatives.

From August to November 2017, when the tax was in effect, the volume of soda sold in Cook County dropped 21% and the tax raised nearly $62 million, nearly $17 million of which went to a county health fund.

American youngsters are drinking far fewer sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks and getting far fewer calories from them than they used to, a new report finds.

But kids from more-affluent homes are benefiting more from these trends than those from poorer families, the researchers said.

For example, the percentage of kids from more-affluent homes who drank at least one swee...

Bad eating habits begin at a young age in American children, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,200 babies (aged 6 to 11 months) and toddlers (12 to 23 months) between 2011 and 2016.

They found that 61% of babies and 98% of toddlers consumed added sugars in their typical daily diet, mainly in flavored yogurt and fruit drinks.

Infa...

Grab-and-go foods are an easy option for busy lives, but if you opt for ultra-processed foods a lot, you may pick up something you don't want -- heart disease.

About 55% of Americans' daily calories come from eating ultra-processed foods, a new study found. And the more calories that came from ultra-processed foods, the worse heart health was, the findings suggested.

"...

After the University of California, San Francisco, banned sales of sugary drinks, employees started downing less liquid sugar -- and their waistlines showed it.

In a before-and-after study, researchers found that the ban, begun in 2015, cut employees' intake of sugary drinks by almost 50%. And within 10 months, their collective waist size had shrunk by almost an inch.

Th...

Teens who stay glued to screens, be it televisions or electronic devices, are not only getting less exercise -- they're more likely to down too many sugary, caffeinated drinks, according to a new study.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 32,400 U.S. students in grades 8 and 10. They found that more than 27% exceeded recommended sugar intake and 21% exceeded recommended c...

Drinks marketed to children often contain loads of unhealthy sugars and sweeteners, and they come in packages that deliver too-large servings, a new report finds.

None of 34 sweetened drinks aimed at the youth market meet nutrition recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), according to University of Connecticut researchers.

"Sweetened drinks are about two-...

There's no doubt that eating a lot of sugar isn't good for your health. What's more, sugar can trigger a chemical reaction that has you craving more and more. Just think about the last time you ate a cookie -- were you able to stop at one? Or three? Or 10?

But Harvard researcher David Ludwig says when it comes to carbs, Americans eat more refined grains and potatoes than sugar, and th...

Four of America's biggest health organizations are banding together to urge parents to better monitor the drinks their young kids sip each day.

The take-home message from the new "Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids" guidelines: Cut down on sugary sodas, juices and the like, and favor breast milk or cow's milk for youngsters instead of trendy plant-based milks.

"As a pediatrician,...

Whether you call it soda, pop or a soft drink, a new study's findings suggest it would be better for your health to drink water instead.

The large European study found that people who have more than two sodas a day -- with or without sugar -- had a higher risk of dying over about 16 years than people who sipped the fizzy beverages less than once a month.

"We found that hig...

People are getting the message about the dangers of sugar. Nearly 70% of Americans have cut back on foods high in added sugars, according to a survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation. But there's still a long way to go.

One of the key ways to reduce your sugar intake is by drinking plain water or low- and no-calorie beverages instead of soda and flavored w...

It's long been known that sugary drinks help people pack on unwanted pounds. But new research suggests that sweetened sodas, sports drinks and even 100% fruit juice might raise your risk for some cancers.

The study couldn't prove cause and effect, but it found that drinking as little as 3 to 4 ounces of sugary drinks each day was tied to an 18% rise in overall risk for cancer...

Eight of every 10 American households buys sodas and other sugary drinks each week, adding up to 2,000 calories per household per week, new research shows.

To put that in perspective, 2,000 calories is equal to the recommended average caloric intake for an adult for an entire day.

With the obesity epidemic continuing for Americans young and old, it's still tough to get the m...

Most folks know that sugary drinks aren't healthy, but a new study finds fruit juices are not much better.

In fact, consuming them regularly may help shorten your life, researchers say.

"Older adults who drink more sugary beverages, which include fruit juice as well as sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages, may be at risk of dying earlier," said study author Jean Welsh. ...

When it comes to sugars in food, you're far better off having a bowl of blueberries than a granola bar, a nutritionist says.

Added sugars just aren't the same as natural sugars, noted Kara Shifler Bowers, a registered dietitian at Penn State PRO Wellness, a health center in Hershey, Pa.

"Natural sugars in fruit are different because fruits carry fiber as well as many antioxi...

Kids who favor diet sodas over sugary ones don't consume fewer calories over the course of a day, a new study finds.

And they average 200 more calories daily than their peers who choose water, according to the results of a survey of over 7,000 U.S. children and teens.

Experts said the findings support what's already recommended by groups like the American Heart Association:...

A new Nutrition Facts label that highlights the amount of added sugars in food could prevent nearly 1 million cases of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

The new label, first proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2016, adds a new line under the Total Carbohydrate category that details the amount of sugar that has been added on top of the suga...

The concerns about sugar and kids go far beyond the risk of cavities.

An extensive research review by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that kids who consume a lot of foods and drinks with added sugar could develop heart disease risk factors -- like obesity and high cholesterol -- starting in childhood.

These risks can occur with sugar intake far lower than a typica...

Two medical groups have declared war on sodas and energy drinks by calling for taxes on what has become the leading source of sugar in the diets of children and teens.

In a new joint policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) also recommended a host of other public policies, all aimed at cutting consumption of the unhealthy drin...

Are you a sugary soda junkie? If you're ready to kick the habit, know that the answer isn't diet sodas.

Following up on research that calls the safety of these artificially sweetened drinks into question is a February study published in the journal Stroke that found for women after menopause, drinking more than one diet soda a day was associated with an increased risk for stro...

Tax it, and fewer folks will buy it.

So it goes with sugar-sweetened drinks, new research suggests.

The California city of Berkeley introduced the nation's first soda tax in 2014, and within months people were buying 21 percent fewer sugary drinks. Three years later, 52 percent fewer of these drinks were being sold while consumption of water rose 29 percent, the researche...

The term "sugar substitutes" is a catch-all that covers a wide range of alternatives, starting with those little pink, blue and yellow packets. But their value as a health or diet aid is still uncertain.

A research review in the BMJ found that there's limited evidence to say how much using them helps with weight loss, and that the real answer is to cut back on sugar in general...

Downing the wrong type of drink when you exercise could put you at risk of kidney disease, a new study warns.

Specifically, the threat is from having sugary, caffeinated soft drinks during exertion in a hot environment, according to researchers at the University at Buffalo in New York.

The small study included 12 healthy adults who did long stretches of exercise in a laborat...