A Short Ramble on Soda and Political Power

       Did you know that the average american drinks 45 gallons of soda per year? Don't believe me? Here's the math: three large cups of soda equal approx. one gallon of soda. That means it only takes 135 cups of soda to make 45 gallons. How many cups of soda do you drink each week? Two, maybe three? Well, two to three cups of soda a week actually adds up to 45 gallons of soda per year! It sounds ridiculous, but it's only too true. There are approx. 39 grams of sugar in one cup of soda. The FDA suggests only consuming 25 grams of sugar per day, but by consuming a soda, that limit is easily exceeded. Doesn't this seem a little bit ridiculous? Did you know, that in other countries, selling a food item with that much sugar in it is illegal?  

       Recently, me and some of my friends were discussing this matter. It seems so wrong that people should just be able to buy drinks with so much sugar in them! After all, most people don't realize that two to three cups of soda a week equals diabetes, obesity, and a host of other health problems that America is flooded with. The big mega-corporations have weaseled their way around correct labeling, and today it is hard to know what is inside your drink, even with the 'ingredients' listed. 

       What is the solution to this major issue in our society? One of my friends suggested regulations. She said that the government should simply not allow people to contaminate our food that way, and that the government should put regulations on it. I thought about this, and at first it seemed like it made sense, but then I thought about how many regulations we already have. It seems like once the government gets control of one thing, they want to have control of everything, and political power gets out of control. 

       My mom suggested that the government should not have anything to do with it. She agreed that political power gets out of control way too easily, and she thought that no regulations should be put down. I also considered this, but found that it really seems like some sort of rule should be put down at least for awareness!

       I came to the conclusion that the government should put rules on how companies label their ingredients so that people know what is in their drink, and how much of it is in there. I understand that there are still problems with this, but it seemed like the best idea to me. 

       If you have any solutions or ideas about how the government could solve this problem (or whether they should even try to solve it) I would really enjoy hearing what you guys have to say. I think that when we are talking about these kind of issues, it is important to have ideas from all viewpoints and backgrounds. For example: someone who has struggled with diabetes due to a lifetime of drinking soda might feel differently about the matter than someone who has not gone through the same experiences. In lieu of these facts, I heartily hope you enjoy your next cup of soda!