If soda were banned for everybody we'd all be better off. That shit is as bad as cigarettes. There's probably no way to do that legally, but maybe the government should start looking for one.
Like many people here, I hate to tell others what they should and shouldn't do in their lives. But the evidence is pretty clear (and not just from my personal experience) that sodas should not be a staple of anyone's diet, and should be actively avoided. If you're going to drink one - regard it as a treat. Like a candy bar.
That the soft drink companies are engaging in rent-seeking behavior (like the tobacco industry did) is also a sign that they shouldn't be on the list of allowed purchases.
Because... it makes you hungry and so you eat more calories from other sources? When I'm cutting, diet soda is a godsend. The carbonation acts like a pseudo fiber and keeps me full.
I doubt it will ever happen but it would probably help with our obesity rates among children.
Have we? The "education approach" seems to have worked for cigarettes[0]
But we haven't used that approach for sugary drinks. And the results show that[1].
[0] https://www.statista.com/statistics/184418/percentage-of-cig...