Soda’s rebound moment – The Atlantic

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For a few years in the 2010s, it seemed like Americans were falling out of love with soda. But a combination of price-conscious shopping, wacky social media trends (milk and Coke, anyone?) and a host of fatalistic behaviors among Americans have made the drink newly relevant.

Soda consumption continued to decline in the decade to 2015, in part due to backlash from a health-conscious public and a series of soda tax battles; some soda drinking was also replaced by beverages such as energy drinks, coffee and bottled water. However, in 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that consumption rates of sugary drinks had plateaued and were well above government-recommended limits. Now, soda sales are picking up slightly: Sales of sodas from Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper have both increased over the past year, according to investment banking advisory firm Evercore ISI, as have overall soft drink sales; last year, Morning Consult found It is one of the fastest growing women's brands. Soda is having a cultural moment, too: Addison Rae's "Diet Pepsi" oneif not thisSong of Summer. The US president-elect is a notorious Diet Coke fan, reportedly drinking a dozen a day during his first term.

Dariush Mozaffarian, a physician and nutrition expert at Tufts University, told me that Americans drink far fewer sugary drinks, especially soda, than they did 20 years ago. , but their alcohol consumption has barely changed compared to 10 years ago. Mozaffarian noted that researchers believe there is a link between drinking large amounts of sugary drinks and a range of negative health outcomes, but the people most willing to change their soda habits may have already changed those habits. He believes that in order to change the cultural norm around soda, drinking soda needs to become uncool. It's not an impossible goal, but it can only be achieved through sustained policy efforts, strong messaging from public health officials, and maybe even a little help from celebrities.

Public health messages alone cannot get people to change their behavior. Nicholas Florko, a colleague in charge of health policy, told me that soda brands “have been part of our cultural life for decades.” "So if you tell people to cut down on this stuff that your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents have been drinking," there's going to be some reluctance. Part of the appeal of soda is that it's usually pretty cheap. To reduce this appeal, activists and politicians are pushing for taxes on sugary drinks. In many cases, they have been met with strong resistance from industry and business groups. Researchers have found that where sugary drink taxes are successfully passed, they do help: A study last year found that sales of sugary drinks fell by a third in U.S. cities with soda taxes, and There is no evidence that people traveled beyond other areas. The area is looking for cheaper drinks. But Nicholas points out that these taxes require political will, and driving up grocery prices for people isn't always an attractive prospect for politicians, especially in our current moment when Americans are still reeling from the effects of high inflation. recover from.

Soda taxes are controversial, but soda taxes aren't just about cost: Justin White, a health policy expert at Boston University, says such policies are effective in part because they make sugary drinks look less socially acceptable. accept. “Policy affects norms, and norms feed back into people’s choices,” he told me. Now, new soda standards are emerging, including some that claim to be good for gut health (though Mozaffarian says more research is needed to substantiate that claim).

Soda feels like an intrinsic part of American life. But Mozaffarian points to generations of savvy advertising and celebrity endorsements that have led to soda’s popularity in many parts of the country — think of its place at baseball diamonds and other social gatherings — as well as the daily rhythms of offices and schools . Curbing soda consumption will require a similar intentional shift.

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