If you're a frequent fast-food flyer or a vending machine junkie, chances are you're drinking lots of sugary drinks too. It just makes sense, doesn't it? If you're already eating crap, might as well throw in a crappy beverage too. Not only does this line of reasoning work for you -- it works for your kids too.

In one study, the diets of 1,475 middle school students were analyzed. The kids' schools all housed vending machines stocked with soda and other sweetened drinks. And here's what happened: Researchers found that 66 percent of students reported fast-food restaurant visits and of the 646 who used vending machines, 71 percent purchased sugar-sweetened drinks.

The bottom line, then: Use of vending machines and fast food restaurant visits seem to be associated with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Does this ring true for you and those around you? If so, you might want to revamp that lifestyle of yours. The gallery below can help you get started.

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Even if you don't eat sweets, chances are you're getting more than your fair share of sugar each day. Added sugars are found in just about everything, from that can of soda sitting in your fridge to the cup of yogurt that in some respects is considered a health food, a Super Food even. The American Dietetic Association estimates that the average American consumed 159 pounds of added sugar in 1999, up from 123 pounds in 1980. Sugar use is on the rise. So are the numbers we see when we peer down at the scale.

There's no doubt that cutting back on sugar helps reduce the risk of obesity and a whole host of other health problems. But how do we successfully cut back on the sugar that sneaks into our foods? Here are a few strategies.

• Know your sugar facts. Look at the "Nutrition Facts" Panel of the foods you buy, and check out how much sugar each product contains. Sugar will be listed in grams, and here's a simple equation for determining how much sugar is in the foods you eat: 7 grams of sugar = 1 tablespoon of sugar.
• Cut down on or completely cut out foods that contain corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup, molasses, honey, fruit juice concentrate or fructose, and brown, raw, or cane sugar.
• Avoid heavily-sweetened breakfast cereals. One serving of Cheerios has 1.2 grams of sugar -- that's low.
  
• Watch out for reduced fat and fat-free products. Sugars are often added to make up for the loss of flavor when fat is removed. When you cut out fat, you may not be cutting out sugar or calories.
  
• Limit sweetened beverages like milkshakes and coffee drinks, which are full of sugar and calories.
• Buy juices that are 100 percent fruit juice. Beware of products that read "100 percent natural." That doesn't mean they're not loaded with added sugars. Avoid products that call themselves "juice cocktails" and "juice beverages."
• Mix fresh or dried fruit into plain yogurt. Many fruity yogurts are loaded with added sugar.
• Learn to appreciate the natural tartness of fruits like grapefruit, strawberries, and other berries. Choose fruit when it's in season -- that way it shouldn't need any added sweetness.

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When you grab your veggies in the grocery store, do you go for fresh, frozen, or canned? If you grab frozen or canned vegetables, you may be onto something -- these options tend to deliver even more nutrients than their fresh counterparts.

All forms of produce are low in calories and contain fiber and phytochemicals -- plant compounds that provide varied health benefits. And when it comes to fiber, fresh is best. But for plentiful nutrients, already-cooked produce is tops. Cooking makes nutrients more readily available to the body, and the time fresh produce spends sitting on shelves depletes their nutrients.

There are some downsides to frozen and canned foods, however, like additives you won't find in the fresh produce aisles. So be careful. Look for low-sodium items, avoid all cream and cheese sauces, and steer clear of any label that reads "sweetened."

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