Disease Proof

Melanie Warner of The New York Times reports that for the first time in twenty years the number of cases of soda sold in the United States declined. This is great news for those who believe that soft drinks cause obesity. According to research, people's demand for variety and healthier choices is attributed to the drop off:

In a research report yesterday, William Pecoriello, a beverage analyst at Morgan Stanley, said he expected the soda category to continue to decline at a 1 percent clip over the next few years. His research shows that 64 percent of the growth in bottled water is a result of people switching from soda to what nutritionists say is the healthiest beverage anyone can drink.

Even diet sodas, once a booming category, have slacked off. Diet Pepsi's case volume was down by 1.9 percent in 2005 and Diet Coke's was virtually unchanged, up only 0.1 percent, according to Beverage Digest.

Mr. Pecoriello attributed this to changing attitudes about diet soda. "According to our research, consumers say they don't like the taste, are worried about artificial sweeteners and," he wrote, do not view diet soft drinks "as 'healthy.'"