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Living Well / Reducing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption

Reducing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption2026-03-12T07:54:34-07:00

Sugary drinks are not-so-sweet for your health.

Early consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) can shape lifelong dietary habits and health outcomes.2 These beverages – such as soda, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, and sweetened or flavored coffee, tea, and water – are the leading source of added sugar in our diets.3,4 Children who frequently drink sugary beverages are more likely to continue these patterns into adolescence and adulthood, increasing cumulative exposure to excess added sugars over time.5,6,7Regular consumption may increase risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and tooth decay. Addressing sugar sweetened beverage consumption is critical for preventing chronic disease and promoting long-term health.3,4

The indicator to track sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is under development.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption – Adolescent

This indicator is under development and the baseline, current rate, and target are to be determined (TBD).

More Data about Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption – Adolescent

Baseline

TBD

Current Rate

TBD

Target

TBD

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption – Adult

This indicator is under development and the baseline, current rate, and target are to be determined (TBD).

More Data about Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption – Adult

Baseline

TBD

Current Rate

TBD

Target

TBD

Indicator Highlights

Sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugars in our diets, contributing excess calories without nutritional benefit.1,8,9,10

A single 12-ounce can of soda contains about 10 teaspoons of added sugar, which can meet or exceed the recommended daily limit in one serving. 1,8,9,10

Build Awareness of the Impacts

Implement culturally and linguistically appropriate health education campaigns – such as Rethink Your Drink and Not So Sweet Side – that highlight hidden sugars in beverages and support individuals and families with resources and tips for healthier drink choices.1,3,8,11

Choose Healthy Alternatives

Replace sugary drinks with water and other low- or no-sugar beverages and learn how to read nutrition labels to spot added sugars.3,11

Make Healthy Alternatives an Easy Choice

Support local policy and community design approaches that reduce sugary drink exposures and promote healthier alternatives – such as establishing sugary drink taxes, integrating healthy beverage standards into school and worksite wellness policies, providing free clean drinking water in public spaces, and promoting healthy store policies that increase access to and visibility of healthy beverages.12,13,14,15

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1. California Department of Public Health. Uncover Healthy Habits. (2025, May 20). Uncover Healthy Habits. https://uncoverhealthyhabits.com/

2. Arora, A., Kh. Shafiur Rahaman, Jinal Shashin Parmar, Gupta, A., Evans, N., Navira Chandio, Navodya Selvaratnam, & Manohar, N. (2024). Trajectories of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake in Early Life: Evidence from a Birth Cohort Study. Nutrients, 16(14), 2336–2336. Accessed March 9, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142336

3. California Department of Public Health. (2025). Drink More Water. CalFresh Healthy Living. https://calfreshhealthyliving.cdph.ca.gov/en/Pages/drink-more-water.aspx

4. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, January 11). Nutrition. Fast Facts: Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/php/data-research/sugar-sweetened-beverages.html

5. American Heart Association. (2020, May 11). Healthy eating behaviors in childhood may reduce the risk of adult obesity and heart disease. American Heart Association Scientific Statement Newsroom. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/healthy-eating-behaviors-in-childhood-may-reduce-the-risk-of-adult-obesity-and-heart-disease

6. World Health Organization. (2023, August 9). Reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity. World Health Organization e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA). https://www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/ssbs-childhood-obesity

7. Beecher, K., Alvarez Cooper, I., Wang, J., Walters, S. B., Chehrehasa, F., Bartlett, S. E., & Belmer, A. (2021). Long-Term Overconsumption of Sugar Starting at Adolescence Produces Persistent Hyperactivity and Neurocognitive Deficits in Adulthood. Frontiers in neuroscience, 15, 670430. Accessed March 9, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.670430

8. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026, March 6). Rethink Your Drink. Healthy Weight and Growth. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/rethink-your-drink/index.html

9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2026, January 7). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. Eat Real Food. https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf

10. World Health Organization. (2023, August 9). Reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity. World Health Organization e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA). https://www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/ssbs-childhood-obesity

11. California Department of Public Health. (2025). Rethink Your Drink. CalFresh Healthy Living. https://calfreshhealthyliving.cdph.ca.gov/en/tips/Pages/Rethink-Your-Drink.aspx

12. California Department of Public Health. (2023, July 31). Hunger, Nutrition, and Health: CDPH Promotes Healthy Eating and Active Living. Center for Family Health. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CFH/Pages/Hunger,-Nutrition,-and-Health.aspx

13. California Department of Public Health. (2025, May 27). Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative: Systems and Environmental Change. Center for Family Health: Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Division Nutrition and Physical Activity. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CFH/DMCAH/NUPA/Pages/Systems-and-Environmental-Change.aspx

14. World Health Organization. (2025). Global report on the use of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes 2025. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/971f1b69-7eda-4329-a152-3e1d15b5c2c7/content

15. Vercammen, K. A., Frelier, J. M., Lowery, C. M., Moran, A. J., & Bleich, S. N. (2018). Strategies to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and increase water access and intake among young children: perspectives from expert stakeholders. Public Health Nutrition, 21(18), 3440–3449. Accessed March 9, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980018002604

Stories & Solutions

Rethink Your Drink

This public health initiative aims to educate low-income Californians about healthy drink options, help identify drinks with added sugar, and make the link between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and health risks.

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