Response Essay: Issues Related to Soft Drinks Essay

This essay is a response to â€Å"Negative health effects of soft drink consumption confirmed in study† written by Jacqueline Weaver (March, 2007). The essay was published to http://www. yale. edu/opa/arc-ybc/v35. n21/story12. html. The main idea of the essay is about issues relating to soft drink consumption. The purpose of the author was to inform readers how soft drinks can affect health and also information regarding false researches and data involving soft drinks. Many people don’t think that soft drinks are that harmful to their body but according to non-funded research soft drinks can be very damaging to human health. As the essay has stated that soft drink consumption has rapidly increased in the United States many people have tried to decrease its distribution, however, there are still many people who protests against this idea (Waever, 2007). In my opinion, I think one of the reasons why people don’t take the risk seriously because of how it looks. Soft drinks don’t seem as life threatening to most people as a big piece of chocolate cake. Advertising is also another factor, most soft drinks advertisement are very friendly and soft drinks company also try to come up with new products to make soft drinks seem healthier. Another reason why people are not worried of health risks related to soft drinks is because of the researches funded by the food industry. â€Å"It is alarming that industry-funded studies so consistently favor industry and that these reports muddy what are otherwise clear waters,† says Kelly D. Brownell. In my opinion I think it is wrong for someone to go though all that trouble of false advertising just because they want to sell a health harming product. Many studies found that soft drinks are related to great caloric intake but most people still choose to consume them because some of them choose to lower their calories in other types of food instead (Waever, 2007). However, food with higher calories might be less harmful than most soft drinks. In my own knowledge I have learnt that soft drinks can cause obesity and can lead to heart problems, diabetes and other serious illness. I completely agree with the author because I personally do not drink soft drinks and not because of just its health risks but because I have no appeal to its taste. Many help problems are caused by soft drinks and unhealthy food, however, there are also many ways to decrease the risks. One of the prevention is stated in the essay, which is to eliminate or decrease the distribution of soft drinks at schools (Waever, 2007). I personally think that this is a great idea because most people who consume soft drinks in their adult life are brought up with it. Consequently consuming soft drinks regularly becomes a habit. As I have stated in my essay earlier that I do not consume soft drink and I think that the reason for that is because when I was growing up my parents have never stocked soft drinks in the fridge therefore I would always drink juice and healthier drinks. As a result I have no appeal to soft drinks at all. There are also many other ways to prevent health issues relating to soft drinks but the most important and the easiest way relies on soft drink consumers. This is because all the researches and proves in the world is not going to change the way one think only the consumer can change their own mind. In conclusion, as the author has informed us that there are great health risks revolving soft drinks along with many conspiracy in health researches (Waever, 2007). Therefore, it is our job to look after our self. People have to be more careful about their food intake and eating habits. The government also needs to help promote healthy eating and lower prices of healthy food and maybe increase the price of unhealthy food. After the help of many hands I’m sure that health problems caused by food will rapidly lessen.