According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that 1/3 of Hispanics are considered obese. While most strategies to address our widening waistlines focus on changing what we put on our plates, an analysis of U.S. beverage habits called What America Drinks(1) suggests we should also take a closer look at what's in our glasses.

The new report suggests that beverage choice may be the forgotten factor in weight management. Specifically, What America Drinks indicates that what we drink may have a powerful impact on what we weigh. The in-depth analysis found that teenagers and adults (ages 14-49) who drank a lot of nutrient poor sugar-sweetened beverages, like soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and presweetened teas and little milk tended to weighed more, then their peers who drank more milk and fewer sugary beverages less, regardless of calories. Milk drinkers also had better quality diets that were richer in nutrients.

Does anyone doubt sugary beverages have a powerful impact on weight? It's obvious they do! Every gram of sugar that goes into our bodies affect our weight. If you drink a lot of sugar sweetened beverages, you are having a lot of sugar.

Drinking milk is an important part of a healthy diet, and may help promoting a healthy weight. Milk drinkers weigh less because their diet is probably the old-fashioned kind of diet my mom gave me: home made meals, plenty of fruits and vegetables, a little fat, and even a little sugar.

Besides, soft drinks make you hungry, because they contain nothing but sugar. Milk, on the other hand, actually nurture your body. The newest Milk Mustache Celebrity is Sara Ramirez (Greys Anatomy), a stunning Latina with a drop-dead, gorgeous, real body figure. She is right when she says:

"Your muscles need to be fed and milk has a lot of protein so it's great to feed your muscles. Calcium helps with the bones. As a woman, I appreciate that. Skim milk or low fat milk can be really helpful for getting protein and calcium, and therefore getting energy without drinking anything with a lot of sugar in it."

To learn more about the Think About Your Drink campaign and the findings from the What American Drinks report, log onto Think About Your Drink. There you'll find Sara's video and bio, the "Think About Your drink Challenge", and tips and tools to help you make better beverage choices.

For information in Spanish, visit Piensa Lo Que Bebes, where you'll find healthy eating tips, recipes and more.