BWMC doctor wants people to cut back on soda intake

By THERESA WINSLOW, Staff Writer

Published 10/29/09

Dr. Joan Lehmann's crusade doesn't pack much pop - but that's the whole point.

Theresa Winslow — The Capital
Dr. Joan Lehmann, an emergency room physician at Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, wants to reduce the incidence of obesity in children and adults. One of the small steps she advocates is cutting out sugary soda in favor of beverages like milk and water.

Lehmann, 46, who works in the emergency room at Baltimore Washington Medical Center, is on a mission to curb America's growing problem with obesity. And one of the small steps she'd like children and adults to take is to cut out sugary soda.

"There's no one magic bullet, but this is a baby step; a significant first step," the Pasadena resident said.

Instead of soda, she recommends milk (preferably skim or low-fat), iced tea or just plain water. She's not a fan of sugar-free soda, either, because of all the...

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Right on - 2009-10-30 16:17:58

I think this is common sense information that many people are just not applying. It is wonderful that Dr. Lehmann is actively shedding light on often overlooked dietary issues. People need to be better educated about nutrition and pay more attention to what they intake.

Many pay particular attention to the nutritional value of the foods that they eat but aren't aware of the dietary impact of the drinks that they consume. I think more educational outreach should be made to the fact that fatty alcoholic beverages, absorbent amounts of sugary and artificial fruit juices and soft drinks (diet and regular) are simply not good for our bodies and DO contribute a large part to our nation's health and obesity concerns.

Moderate amounts of nearly anything isn't too harmful but people need to be more empowered to be able to assess nutritional value relative to unhealthy attributes in food and beverage products when shopping. Misleading labels don't help in this goal.

I also like the idea of letting people know what a better replacement for an unhealthy component of their diet might be. For example, instead of a sugary soda, try naturally flavored seltzer water containing no carbs, sugars, calories, cholesterol, sodium, etc.

Part of the problem is that some people don't care and would rather remain ignorant. But I have to believe people would start making better choices for their families, if not themselves, if they were better empowered with proper nutritional education and really understood package labels and ingredient lists.

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Rachel Rachfal - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

article - 2009-10-30 14:51:43

First I'd like to commend Dr. Lehmann for her efforts in encouraging healthy lifestyles; however, I do not agree with all of her recommendations. As a registered dietitian and consultant to the food and beverage industry, I tell my clients that a healthy diet is not about picking or rejecting specific foods or beverages. Instead, it is about making informed, sensible choices based on individual needs. It's all about moderation, not elimination. I firmly belive that obesity has many causes and can not be solved by targeting one food or beverage alone.

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Alisa Winters - Atlanta, GA - Karma: Neutral

sure - 2009-10-29 17:51:29

10 lb.s in one week. A six pack of soda a day and fried food? What a great example of how much weight you can lose by cutting out soda! Get a grip. A soda once in a while isn't that bad. They even have the nice 8 oz. size for those who think a 12 oz. is too much. Parents need to regulate what their children have. But don't worry, the government will soon take soda away from us by taxing it for being the "sin" that it is.

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Thomas Frankowski - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral