America is facing an obesity epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of adult Americans are obese. With this in mind, it’s vital that we take steps to reduce the risk for obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. One way to do this is by banning large sodas in the United States. While this may seem like a drastic measure, there are three important reasons why it needs to be done. In this article, we’ll explore those reasons and discuss why banning large sodas is the right thing for America.

The Dangers of Big Sodas

When it comes to public health, few things are more dangerous than big sodas. Here are four reasons America needs to ban big sodas:

1. Big sodas are a major contributor to obesity.

2. Big sodas increase the risk of diabetes.

3. Big sodas can lead to heart disease.

4. Big sodas are bad for the environment.

The Impact of Big Sodas on the Environment

The average American drinks about 57 gallons of soda each year. That’s more than twice the amount of any other country and enough to fill a small swimming pool.1 The environmental impact of all that soda is huge.

Each can of soda requires water, energy, and materials to produce. In the United States, manufacturing one can of soda uses approximately 0.24 gallons of water – enough to power a 100-watt lightbulb for four hours.2 It also takes about 2,000 times the amount of energy to make a can from scratch than it does to recycle an old one3. Plus, mining bauxite – the main ore used in aluminum production – is often strip mined, meaning large swathes of land are deforested and disrupted in order to get at the ore4.

All that manufacturing has an impact on climate change too. Soda production emits nearly two million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually5 – that’s equivalent to the annual emissions from over 400,000 passenger vehicles6. And while recycling aluminum cans cuts down on some emissions, it still takes a lot of energy7.

What’s more, when you toss your empty can in the trash, it’s likely headed for a landfill where it will sit for centuries8. Even if it’s recycled, there’s only so much aluminum that can be reused – eventually it will end up in a landfill too9

The Economic Cost of Big Sodas

The cost of big sodas is more than just the price of the drink itself. There are also economic costs associated with obesity and other health problems caused by sugary drinks.

Obesity is one of the biggest health problems in America, and it’s getting worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of adults who are obese has doubled since 1980. Today, more than 1 in 3 adults in America are obese.

Obesity causes a wide range of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. These chronic diseases are expensive to treat. In fact, medical costs related to obesity totaled an estimated $147 billion in 2008. That’s about 10% of all medical spending in the United States!

Sugary drinks are a major contributor to obesity. In fact, studies have shown that people who drink one or more sugary drinks a day are 26% more likely to be obese than people who don’t drink any sugary drinks. And each additional sugary drink per day increases the risk of obesity by another 5%.

So if we could reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, we could reduce obesity rates and save billions of dollars in healthcare costs. That’s why some experts have called for taxes on sugary drinks, as well as bans on large sizes.

Why America Needs To Ban Big Sodas

1. Big sodas are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic in America.

2. Big sodas are loaded with sugar and calories, and offer very little nutritional value.

3. Big sodas are a major contributor to type 2 diabetes and other chronic health problems.

4. Big sodas are a waste of money – you can get more bang for your buck by drinking water or unsweetened tea or coffee.

5. Drinking big sodas is just plain bad for your health. So let’s ban them!

Conclusion

With the evidence presented, it is clear that banning big sodas in America could be beneficial for a variety of reasons. Not only would this reduce the amount of sugar Americans consume and help lower obesity levels, but it would also save the nation billions of dollars in healthcare costs. It’s about time we started taking steps towards addressing our nation’s health crisis, and instituting a ban on large size sodas is one way to do just that.