Liquid Candy On the Defense in a Court Near You?

An impending lawsuit has the U.S. soft drink industry battling claims that it bears a significant amount of the blame for America's youth obesity epidemic. An Attractive Nuisance Lawyers, some of them veterans of lawsuits against the tobacco industry, are gearing up to claim that soda firmsthat fill school vending machines are selling deliberately harmful products to youth. The case will be based on the notion that school vending machines are an "attractive nuisance" -- the same concept used to make landowners fence in swimming pools, which could pose a danger to nearby children. Liquid Candy Advocates for the beverage industry have already launched a counteroffensive, calling the idea "ridiculous." But the public health advocacy group The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), countered that soda was "liquid candy" and called for cigarette-style health warnings on cans. CSPI said research showed teenagers consume an average of two to three cans of soda per day in the United States. 60 Percent With Each Serving The percentage of overweight children in the United States has tripled since 1980. A 2001 study in the medical journal "The Lancet" revealed that with each additional serving of soda, a 12-year-old increased the chance of obesity by 60 percent. Yahoo News December 14, 2005 Dr. Mercola's Comment:Soft drink manufacturers were hoping that the recent 24 percent plunge in non-diet soda sales in America's public schools and voluntary guidelines for reducing a child's exposure to high-calorie sugary drinks would be enough to forestall a huge lawsuit, the likes of Big Tobacco's multi-billion-dollar settlements with 46 states. I wouldn't bet the farm on it, however, with the Center for Science in the PublicInterest partly behind the effort. Although none of the protagonists are talking specifics, look for a lawsuit to be filed in Massachusetts, a state with strong consumer protection laws, sometime next year. A possible problem with any sort of settlement, should one ever come: A ridiculously high number of public schools -- including 75 percent of our nation's high schools -- make easy money selling these sugary, health-harming drinks to your kids. Fact is, the debatable "windfall" from lawsuits can never compensate you or your family enough when it comes to your health. Here are some other reasons why you want to minimize your intake of soda: Don't think for a moment, though, that you can slip in diet soda to replace regular soda, as that is a definite move in the wrong direction. As strange as it may seem after my extensive warnings about soda, I am absolutely convinced that diet sodas are actually worse than regular soda.Not too long agoI ran a study that showed consuming diet sodas actually doubles your risk of developing obesity. Plus, artificial sweeteners used in diet soda, like Splenda® and NutraSweet®, pose major risks to your health. Pure water is your best option for a beverage. One of the easiest things you can do for the good of your family's health and your own is to give up sodas and replace them with clean fresh water.