Soda sales continue to fall, and it’s not happening by accident. A recent poll from research firm Gallup surveying over 1,000 Americans found at least six in ten U.S. adults are actively avoiding drinking soda. As for the other four? Gallup’s poll found that 22 percent of its survey participants sip their CSDs guilt-free, while 16 percent aren’t paying any mind to their soda intake.
It’s a significant change from 2002, when only 40 percent of the population reported trying to steer clear from soft drinks. Respondents say their aversion to soft drinks is based on the high-calorie and high-sugar content in regular soda and artificial sweeteners like aspartame used in diet versions.
This shift appears a part of a larger trend of healthy eating being seen amongst U.S. consumers. According to Gallup, at least nine in 10 Americans are actively attempting to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diet while three out of four polled participants reported trying to substitute red meat with more lean meats like chicken and fish.
Gallup’s results were based on telephone interviews conducted with a random sample of 1,009 adults across all 50 U.S. states.