How Dangerous Is Soda?

Overfed and undernourished is perhaps the very best way to describe the current American Diet.  There are a number of factors that all contribute to making our diet unhealthy, but  it is undeniable that one of the largest perpetrator is soda.  Devoid of any and all nutritional benefit and loaded with high fructose corn syrup, soda is dangerous and is responsible for badly injuring people.  A lot of people reading this may find this last statement overly dramatic.  Certainly no one thinks of soda as particularly healthy but dangerous?  Well let's quickly look at the facts.
1.       People who drink two or more sodas a week have an 87% increased risk, or nearly twice the riskof pancreatic cancer compared to individuals consuming no soft drinks.
2.       Soda is the number one source of calories in the America Diet
3.       Mercury a very dangerous neurotoxin linked to autism, learning, and developmental disorders is used in the processing of High Fructose Corn Syrup and has detectable levels in soda.
4.       Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%.
5.       The cost of Diabetes in 2007- 187 Billion dollars.
Ok, so now let's quickly review.  Soda is the biggest source of calories in the average American's diet.  As soda consumption increases so does the rate of obesity and type 2 diabetes.  The High Fructose Corn Syrup found in soda is processed with mercury.  The cost of diabetes which is directly related to soda intake is staggering.  To top it all off, soda about doubles your chances of contracting one of the deadliest cancers, pancreatic.
A lot of people will tell you moderation is the key to everything and in some instances they may be right.  However, no one wants to jump out of a plane without a parachute in moderation and no one wants to drink bleach in moderation.  Soda is poison for our bodies and needs to be thought of the same way.
Doc Hoc