A paper proposal on the the Rhetoric of Sugar Sweetened Beverages - Assignment Example

In this literature review, I intend to analytically review a variety of literature on Sugar Sweetened Beverages. Thus, I will put emphasis on a wide range of SSBs. These include, but not limited to soft drinks (soda), flavoured waters, sweetened teas, ready to drink coffees, sports drinks, and juices. Babey, Wolstein & Goldstein(2013) contend that the increase in consumption if drink that have added caloric sweeteners is attributed to less healthy diets as well as health concerns such as overweight and obesity.

What is the problem addressed in the literature review? The problem addressed is that there is the increased consummation of SSBs and consequently increased rates of obesity and overweight. Overwhelming research as presented in a wide range of literature has specifically cited increased consumption of SSBs as the main cause of the increased rates of obesity. Over the last four decades for instance, the rates of obesity and weight gains have tripled. Statistics of study carried out by Ogden & Carrrol (2010) between 2007 and 2008 established that one in every six children and adolescents aged between 2 and 9 is obese.

These statistics are worrying. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (1998), obesity increases the risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, various cancers, and many other chronic diseases. As such, the increased rates of consuming SSBs have the risk of escalating the already increased cases of obesity. This will consequently case a major strain to the public health care system. Currently, the U.S government spends more than $174 billion annually in treating obesity.

It also spends more than $147 billion annually in treating health problems related to obesity and overweight. According to Wang et al. (2012), this accounts for more than 9.1 percent of the government’s health care expenditure. This has led to widespread concerns over the need to control the major causes of diabetes and overweight. What are the questions addressed in the literature review? The questions addressed in my literature review are: 1. What can be done to reduce the rate of SSBs consumption? 2. What role can the media play in reducing the rate of SSBs consumption?

What gaps have you discovered in the literature? An analytical review of the literature on SSBs consumption reveals that there exists a large gap between the increasing rate of SSBs consumption and the measures that can be used to reduce these rates. There is also a large gap in regard to the role played by the media and the increased rates of SSBs consumption. There also exists a gap on the approaches to be used on reducing SSBs consumption. Generally, the approaches to reducing intake have varied.

Some literature proposes a tax on sugar sweetened beverages, while other literature advocates an extreme tax on SSBs. On the other hand, some literature argues that a tax will not suffice at all. Most literature argues that there is strong link between the high levels of consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and obesity and adverse effects on the public health care system. Babey ,Wolstein & Goldstein H (2013) claim that soda and other SSBs, such as energy and sports drinks, are the largest source of added sugar in the diets of both children and adults in the U.S. It is argued that liquid calories do not satisfy as well as solids, and SSBs add calories instead of replacing them.

It is suggested