Adam Chan
Eng 111
Professor Barnoy
Soft Drink: The Addiction Poison
Soft drinks are everywhere in our
country and you would likely see someone holding a bottle of coke rather than a
bottle of water. But who can really help it when stores are putting Soft drinks
up front while water bottles is hidden elsewhere. From soft drinks like soda and
energy drink they have the ability to kill literally. According to a New York
times article Soft drinks are already linked to heart disease and the more
someone drinks one the more likely that they will have health issues. The fact is many people are replacing water
with Soft drinks which have no significant nutrient value at all except a high
caffeine and many food additives. What makes Soft drinks so addictive is the caffeine
and sugar inside it and the body creates a huge dependence on it. Even though Soft
drinks aren't regarded as hazardous yet it should be there many health related
problems due to soda and it seems the awareness to slow it down isn't happening
anytime soon. Even though people know its harmful to your health and addiction
most will not be giving up anytime soon.
First off all I want to start up on
the availability and exposure of soft drinks that is part of the reason. Advertisements,
Television shows and in nearly every store in the United States there is a soft
drink being ready to be purchase. Every time you walk into a store there is a
soft drink close by available for purchase it lures people in much closer to it
than any other healthy beverage that is available. Most people wouldn't even
tell you soda was bad and unlike cigarettes which has been put in a bad
spotlight, soft drinks are hardly mention at all as bad, making people think it's
okay. Even if people know the negatives effects of soft drinks, when a water
bottle cost the same of a soda it's pretty easy what people would rather choose
for their thirst quencher. The
availability of soda is a major factor on why soft drink addiction is very out
of hand.
The health risk of soft drinks is
very great and often left less expose and ignored. One major threat from soda
is obesity which can lead to even diabetes and heart issues. Not only can it
affect you on the inside but even on the how the way you look you look. For instance tooth
decay, cavities, obesity and phosphorus which weaken bone if you plan on
getting bigger. But you might be
wondering why hasn't this happen yet? Well it takes time but drinking daily in
the next 10 years or even sooner will affect your health greatly. From personal
experience even if people knew these hazardous risks they will still drink it
just because of the addictive nature of it. When soft drinks like this has a
chance of affecting your health people will have to decide between pleasure or
health but sadly the lather is always chosen. Maybe unlike other dangerous products
if it doesn't affect the way you think there is no need for a issue. The health
issues of soft drink isn't instant or even short term but it can be just as
dangerous as alcohol, drugs and tobaccos.
There are many risks to soft drinks
and people might either not have enough knowledge or choose to ignore it so it
comes down to lifestyle. Even I am guilty of this I may know the risks but even
I would rather grab a bottle of soda than anything else. The biggest restraint
to dropping soft drinks is people very
own willpower but I often see people that say that and end up not doing it
since most wouldn't care one way or the other. It may take a bigger number of
people to feel the health casualties like drugs and alcohol to make any real
influence in our lives to change it. For example until the media or death
reports like alcohol and cigarettes come in most people won't understand the
serious issue of it. Changing lifestyles isn't easy and without imminent health
hazard I don't suspect soft drink addictions will end anytime soon.
Even if people read this essay it
would most likely wouldn't have any impact on how they drink soft drinks even
when knowing the health risks. For
most people dropping soft drinks is just like dropping water it can't happen
and this is why it isn't possible. It may take media attention or casualties of lives for any
health issues of it to have any influence on us but it can and will happen one
day.
Work Cited
Ideaconnection. "Addiction to soft drinks." ideaconnection.
IdeaConnection Ltd, n.d. Web. 24 Apr.
2012.
<http://www.ideaconnection.com/solutions/422-Addiction-to-soft-drinks.html>.