Health Notes: So long, sugary soda

A second Minnesota hospital is giving up sugar-sweetened beverages.

Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital in Grand Rapids announced Wednesday that sugar-sweetened beverages no longer will be offered in its cafeteria, coffee bar and vending areas as of March 2.

Sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to obesity and diabetes and an increased risk for heart disease, said Dr. Lisa Owens, general surgeon at Grand Itasca, in a news release.

“While we acknowledge that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is only one of many factors contributing to obesity, reducing consumption is a fairly easy way to begin reversing the trend,” Owens said.

St. Luke’s hospital in Duluth was the first hospital in the state to eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages. It began phasing them out last fall.

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