Your overall health is in jeopardy when you drink pop, which contains high contents of sugar and phosphoric acid, experts say.

The following is a list of health problems associated with soda pop:

Obesity

It's no surprise that drinking soda - high in calories and sugar, low in nutrients - can make kids overweight.

Each 12-ounce carbonated, sweetened soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories. Sweetened drinks are the biggest source of added sugar for children. Drinking a 12-ounce sweetened beverage increases a child's risk of obesity by 60 percent.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one in every three kids is at risk of becoming overweight and one in every six is overweight. Since 1980, the number of overweight children in the United States has nearly doubled and of overweight adolescents has nearly tripled.

Tooth decay

As with any sugary drinks and foods, pop also leads to tooth decay. But sugar in soda is not the only reason. The acids in pop also lead to cavities since they attack tooth enamel.

Diet and sugar-free drinks don't help, either, because they still contain harmful acids that cause tooth decay.

If you must drink soda, then drink it in moderation and don't sip for a long time. Sipping allows the sugar and acid to attack your teeth for longer periods of time. Try using a straw to keep the sugar away from your teeth. After drinking pop, rinse your mouth or brush your teeth to wipe away the sugar.

Bone weakening

Even though there is not definitive proof, some studies show that drinking pop can deplete bones of calcium, causing your bones to weaken.

This is because phosphorus, a common ingredient in soda, weakens bones by losing valuable calcium. Less calcium means bones become more prone to fractures.

Even though the soft drink industry denies the claims, two recent human studies suggest girls who drink more pop are more likely to have broken bones.

Source: www.KidsHealth.org and www.preventdisease.com