"Blecch! Ew! Sheesh! I'll take a crab juice," replied a thirsty Homer Simpson to a vendor's alternative offer of Mountain Dew. I side with Homer on most issues, including this one. But whatever you think of the taste, you'd be hard-pressed to argue in favor of the soft drink's nutritional value.
Soda has a bad reputation for being high in empty calories that contribute to some of the nation's public-health problems, such as obesity and diabetes. NPR's The Salt blog reports today on a phenomenon widespread in Appalachia of rotting teeth owing to frequent consumption of soda. The incidence is called "Mountain Dew mouth" - "after the region's favorite drink," which was invented in Tennessee, the piece notes.
Public-health advocates point out a burden of cost imposed by the Dew, which can be acquired with food stamps (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Greater access to the drink and limited availability of dental care contribute to "Mountain Dew mouth," which is reinforced by cultural issues in the area.
From the piece:
Many people don't trust the well water in their homes because of pollution concerns and probably drink more soda because of it, [Priscilla Harris, JD, an associate professor at the Appalachian College of Law], says. She's received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study the problem.
And there's another reason why soda mouth is so pervasive in Appalachia, Harris says: the region's distinct culture of sipping soda constantly throughout the day. Singer adds, "Here in West Virginia, you see people carrying around bottles of Mountain Dew all the time — even at a public health conference."
The article reports statistics about the region's rate of tooth decay as 26 percent for pre-schoolers, and tooth extraction because of decay or erosion as 15 percent for 18- to 24-year-olds. In West Virginia, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers show 67 percent of residents age 65 and over having lost six or more teeth from tooth decay or gum disease.
Previously: Sugar intake, diabetes and kids: Q&A with a pediatric obesity expert and Dental health a major problem for many
Photo by uberculture
