How Sweet It Is: Traditional Sweet Iced Tea and the Diabesity Epidemic.

Abstract

In this paper we present four cases from our medical practice to increase awareness of the role of sweet tea in obesity and diabetes management. We start with a history of Southern style “sweet tea”, and discuss the importance of screening for beverage intake in the clinical setting. We note the associations between sugar sweetened beverage intake and weight that we often see in our clinics. Then we discuss resistance to changing a “sweet tea habit”. Finally, we sound an alert about the spread of sweet tea to other parts of the country. The cases we present are not atypical for clinical populations.