CDC: Large Health Concern Not Being Addressed

By Dan Rubin, KSEE24 News

November 15, 2012 Updated Nov 15, 2012 at 8:12 PM PDT

To fight obesity the focus is on junk food and sugary drinks. Now, doctors are saying we could be attacking the wrong beverage.

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control says every day Americans consume as many empty calories drinking alcohol as they do drinking alcohol.

Underage drinking has tremendous health consequences. Lack of availability of alcohol for people under the age of 21 encourages binge drinking, which can have tragic consequences.

The study also found men tend to drink more than women. Although, alcohol consumption was consistent across all races.

A doctor working for the Fresno County Health Department says alcohol taxes only make up about a quarter of what tax payers spend on health care and criminal proceedings for inebriates.

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