Sugary drink shockers: What recent report says

Americans certainly love their soda. A new report from the CDC shows that on any given day, half of us have a soft drink or another sugar-sweetened beverage - including sweetened bottled water, fruit drinks, energy drinks and sports drinks.

But what's sweet news to bottlers is leaving a sour taste in the mouths of health experts, who say the excess calories from sugary drinks play a role in America's obesity epidemic. And the daily soda habit figures are just one finding of the provocative new report. Keep clicking to see what else researchers are saying about soda...

Who drinks the most sugary drinks?

Teenagers and young adults are the biggest consumers. Seventy percent to males between two and 19 years of age have a sugary drink on a daily basis, along with 60 percent of their female counterparts. Fifty-five percent of older men drink sugary beverages daily, along with 40 percent of older women.

Do certain racial groups drink more?

Blacks drink more sugary drinks than Mexican Americans or whites. Among non-Hispanic black children and adolescents, sugary drinks account for 8.5 percent of total calories consumed. That compares to 7.7 percent of young whites' daily calories and 7.4 percent of young Mexican Americans'. Among people age 20 and older, sugary drinks account for 8.6 percent of daily calories in blacks, 8.2 percent in Mexican Americans, and 5.3 percent in whites.

Do poor people consume more sugary drinks?

Higher income is associated with lower consumption of sugary drinks, according to the report.

How many calories do we get from sugary drinks?

Overall, boys and men consume an average of 175 calories from sugary drinks on any given day, while girls and women consume 94 calories. About 25 percent of Americans get less than 200 calories (more than a 12-ounce can of soda), according to the report. But five percent get at least 567 calories from sugary drinks on any given day (more than four cans of soda).

Where do people drink sugary beverages?

More than half of calories from sugary drinks are consumed in the home - about 52 percent.

What's wrong with drinking too much sugary beverages?

Sugary drinks have been linked to weight gain, obesity, and type 2 diabetes - and they also encourage tooth decay. Government guidelines call for limiting the consumption of beverages and foods with added sugar, and the American Heart Associated recommends having no more than three cans of soda per week.