Soda Decline May Signal Healthy Change

While soft drink companies may be hurting due to recent declines in profits, Americans may be reaping the benefits.

PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Dr. Pepper have all reported dismal sales in their second quarter, which they promptly blamed on wet, cold weather, but experts are now saying that this is part of a steady decline since the 1980s when people found out soft drinks were not healthy, according to ABC.

"My first health tip to all of my patients regardless of their age or weight is to stop drinking sodas, sports drinks and other sugary beverages," said Richard Bresser, ABC News Chief Medical Editor, in his column for ABC News. "It's one of the simplest things that they can do for their health." And this change is much needed, Bresser wrote, because regular soda intake leads to 180,000 deaths a year worldwide, 25,000 in the United States alone, according to ABC News.

While studies still find nearly half of Americans partake in sugary drinks per day, the tide could soon be shifting. "The trend (in the decline of soda) won't change and will probably get worse without a major breakthrough in new sweeteners," said John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest to ABC News.