I recently read that soft drinks, including diet drinks cause heart disease. Is this true?

This is false. A recent study published in American medical journal Circulation, about metabolic syndrome and sparkling drinks, gained much media attention in Australia. Metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance, is a group of conditions that put you at risk of heart disease and diabetes. It is a complex issue that cannot be attributed to a single cause or a single food, drink or ingredient. The assertions being made could apply to any product containing kilojoules – if you over consume any food or beverage with kilojoules, there are health consequences. Neither regular or diet sparkling drinks nor any other product as unique in this equation. For more information about metabolic syndrome and this study, click here

A healthy body weight is all about balance – balancing the energy you consume in your food and drink choices with the energy you expend through physical activity.

Whether kilojoules or exercise, it’s important to think, ‘how much and how often?’

If consumed in moderation with appropriate portion size and combined with regular physical activity, all foods and drinks can fit within a healthy, balanced diet. The key is to watch portion sizes and stay within your daily kilojoule needs the majority of the time. To help you calculate your daily energy needs, check out our Energy Counter.

One easy way to limit the number of kilojoules you consume is to look for light, low-kilojoule and no-kilojoule versions of your favourite foods and drinks.

Weight management tips

Read food labels. Look for the number of kilojoules per serving, what the serving size is AND how many servings are provided by the packages you buy. To help control energy intake, consider switching to smaller packages with fewer total portions. Many of your favorite foods and drinks now come in single-serving or smaller portion sizes. The Coca-Cola Company has introduced % Daily Intake (DI) labeling on all its drinks to help you make informed choices for you and your family. Click here to find out more.
Trick your mind. Research suggests that serving drinks in tall, skinny glasses or meals on smaller plates may give the appearance of more volume. This might help you trick yourself into thinking you had a full portion and make you less likely to go back for seconds.
Write it down.
Keeping a food journal increases your awareness of what you are consuming and may uncover habits that lead to excess kilojoules.
Take small steps. Cutting around 500 kilojoules out of your diet each day (for example changing from a large regular cappuccino to a regular skinny cappuccino, a regular sparkling drink to diet drink or doing just 500 extra kilojoules’ worth of exercise a day (30 minutes of jogging or 40 minutes of skipping) may result in about an ½ kg weight loss per month - that's 6 kg a year!
Choose wisely. Although certain foods and drinks contain kilojoules, they may also be providing important nutrients to your body. Kilojoule containing drinks, such as milk, many fruit juices and sports drinks, can also provide important nutrients in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Go slowly. By taking your time to savour your food and drinks means your brain has more time to register that you have eaten and you are more likely to get fuller quicker and ultimately, eat less.