| Abstrakt: |
Setting: In the Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, a high percentage of Mayans have now substituted high calorie drinks in the place of water. The excessive consumption of soft drinks and beer have now triggered an epidemic of diabetes mellitus. We undertook this study to better understand the perceptions that Mayan diabetics have about Coca-Cola and beer. Methods: It has been estimated that the daily diet of Highland Mayans provide them with from 3566 to 4488 Kcal daily if we include the large quantities of soda or beer which have become part of their diet. If we add in the additional 788 to 985 kcal from sweetened beverages, we obtain a total diet that exceeds 5000 kcal per day. Six brief case studies illustrate the role of sweetend drinks in Conclusions: Indeed, more Coca-Cola is consumed in Chiapas then any place else in the world: 683.8 liters per person per year. In the United States soda and beer consumption per person and per year is far less: 98.4 liters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
