You Are What You Drink: Sugar Sweetened Beverages
Dierdre K. Tobias, ScD
Associate Professor, Division of Preventive Medicine, BWH, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
Speaker Bio: Dr. Tobias’s work focuses on identifying healthy dietary patterns for chronic disease prevention, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity-related cancers. Her lab also conducts research to understand the biology underlying these complex relationships. She is the Academic Editor for the top-ranked American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and recently served as a member of the scientific committee for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Presentation Description: Sugary beverages are an established cause of weight gain and obesity-related chronic diseases. However, less is known about the health effects replacing SSBs with non-caloric options, including artificially-sweetened beverages. This presentation reviews the evidence and controversies surrounding diet beverages as healthful alternatives for patients quitting SSBs.