Calories consumed from beverages continue to decline in communities where obesity rates are above the national average, according to an independent evaluator. For four years straight, the actions the beverage industry is taking nationally with public health partners to reduce the sugar people get from beverages is working, and the data proves it, states American Beverage, Washington, D.C.

The latest evaluation of a public commitment by America’s beverage companies and brokered by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to reduce the sugar people get from beverages shows that consumption of full-calorie beverages declined in 2020 as consumers shifted toward low- and zero-sugar beverages for the fourth consecutive year.

Independent evaluator Keybridge LLC released its annual report on progress toward a nationwide goal, set by the beverage industry and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, to reduce the calories and sugar Americans get from beverages. The report noted that 2019 saw the largest single-year reduction in calorie consumption and the third consecutive year of declines since the launch of the initiative.