Dive Brief:
- The U.S. topped global sugary drinks consumption in 2000, but as U.S. soda sales consistently declined over the past decade and more consumers shunned sweetened beverages, the country lost its top spot.
- As of 2014, Chile leads global sugary drink consumption at 190 calories per person per day sold, followed by Mexico, and then the U.S. in third, coming in at just under 160 calories per person per day, according to a new study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. Following the U.S. are Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Germany.
- "In many countries, even as sales of soda drop, other sugar-sweetened beverages like energy drinks and flavored-waters, are on the rise," Quartz reported.
Dive Insight:
The U.S. isn't the only country seeing soda sales decline, as Mexico has also reported falling soda sales, which began to slip even before the country passed the "soda tax" in 2013.
Berkeley, CA, passed a similar tax last year, though it's too soon to tell what kind of effects it has had besides raising prices of sugary drinks for consumers, as most of the tax is passed on to them. Public health advocates are now pushing for other pieces of soda tax legislation in up to a dozen U.S. cities. in 2016. Politico reports the San Fransisco Board of Supervisors "voted unanimously" to stop its sugary drink ad ban Tuesday.
While sugary drink sales are dropping in countries like the U.S., UK, and Mexico, consumption is skyrocketing in others, including China, Thailand, Brazil, and Chile. That includes gains for not just soda but also fruit drinks, popularity for which is surging in Asia.
While both Mexico and Chile had campaigns dedicated to decreasing soda consumption, only Mexico's appears to have worked. Mexico enjoyed a "much more visible and well-funded media campaign linking sugar-sweetened beverages with diabetes (which is called 'urino con azucar' in Mexico)," while "By contrast, much of the Chilean effort was aimed at direct discussions with congressional representatives led by several active senators," according to researchers.