“Bottled Water Sales Rising as Soda Ebbs” by Stephanie Strom

Conveying information that will likely shock any reader, this New York Times article suggests that the sales of bottled water are expected to surpass the sales of popular sodas relatively soon—by the end of this decade, according to Michael C. Bellas, chief executive of the Beverage Marketing Corporation. He has meticulously studied the growth of the rate of water bottle sales and reports that they have grown by about twenty percent every quarter from 1993 to 2005, and is still increasing today but at a lesser rate of change. This change is due to the acknowledgement of data, collected by our federal government, which shows a convincing correlation between decreased consumption of soda and a decreased rate of health problems including high cholesterol and other chronic diseases. Additionally, water bottle sales have grown due to the fact that a healthier lifestyle has been supported by iconic figures such as Michelle Obama, and also due to the fact that water bottle prices have dropped by about eight cents in recent years.

How can anyone have any negative feelings regarding the topic of this article? The increased consumption of water in the U.S. can only mean a good thing for a country that has been struggling to battle obesity, especially in the past half-century or so.