U.S. Urged to Cut Sugar Equal to a Half-Can of Coke a Day
- Diet guidelines come after lobbying by PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz
- Beverage taxes called for by earlier advisory panel excluded
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Americans need to cut back on sugars found in sodas and snacks to curb obesity, according to dietary guidelines issued by the U.S. government Thursday that include, for the first time, specific targets for sweetener consumption.
Less than 10 percent of daily calories for adults should come from sugars added to packaged foods and sodas, according to the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services which jointly released the guidelines. Americans currently get more than 13 percent of their calories from such sources. Cutting the equivalent of half a 12-ounce non-diet soda each day would reach the new goal.