61.8% of Colombians consume sugary drinks: DANE

The National Administrative Department of Statistics (Dane) released the results of the National Quality of Life Survey for 2021. The document shows the changes of Colombians in health issues during the covid-19 pandemic and includes some behaviors that may have an impact in the medium and long term, such as the consumption of sugary drinks.

The entity noted that 61.8% of Colombians accepted that they consume these products. Of this population, 31.5% drink sugary drinks twice or three times a week, while 26.7% drink sugary drinks at least once a week.

The study also revealed the indexes by gender. 63.7% of men accepted that they consume the drinks, while only 56.7% of women gave the same answer.

It is important to note that the statistics highlight some areas of the country where these drinks are most consumed. San Andrés, for example, is the place where they take these products the most because 88.7% of the population accepted that they consume it. This department is followed by Atlántico (79%), Arauca (75.7%), Amazonas (74.4%), Córdoba (74.2%) and Bolivar (71.8%). The areas where people drink the least are: Risaralda (53.2%), Vaupés (53%), Caldas (52.8%), Cauca (52.5%) and, in the lowest rate of all, Vichada with 29%.

The director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, explained to El Espectador the harm these drinks have on the human body. “They contribute greatly to overweight and obesity, and these conditions, in turn, are known to cause heart disease, diabetes and other related serious illnesses,” said the expert.

In fact, in August 2021 President Iván Duque passed the 'Junk Food Act'. This allows the labeling of ultra-processed products to be defined with a front warning seal that informs consumers of excess fats, sodium and sugars that food and beverages may have. The regulations were supported by entities such as the World Health Organization and have already been adopted through labeling laws in many Latin American countries such as Chile and Mexico.

In context: Why has food labeling not materialized in Colombia

Other results of the survey

The Dane document also revealed information about the households in Colombia and the general welfare of the inhabitants of the different regions of the country. With this, it aims to show an x-ray of how Colombians live and the changes that have occurred as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

El Dane found that the possibility of owning a home — which is fully paid for — has fallen since 2019. In that year, 42 percent of households reported having their own home; by 2021, only 35 percent had it. In that sense, last year, the 17.1 million households were grouped into 17 million homes.

The study also showed that in the middle of 2020 — the peak of the pandemic — Colombians reunited in their families as a method of saving, as the number of people who claimed to live at home increased. In 2021, the situation changed again as many returned to living in apartments; the figure rose from 36.9% in 2020 to 38.1% in 2021.

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