Dieters Rejoice: Low-Calorie, Sugar-Free Slurpees Hit the Market Soon

"Slurpee Lites" will debut on May 23 at 7-Elevens nationwide. The new sugar-free flavors have half the calories of the traditional slushy drinks.

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Slurpees are going on a diet. 7-Eleven is embracing health-conscious consumers who are trying to slash their sugar intake by offering low-calorie slushy versions nationwide. Next week, “Slurpee Lites” will be offered at most 7-Elevens with diet-friendly flavors like sugar-free mango and sugar-free cherry limeade.

Slurpee Lites will have 50% fewer calories than  traditional Slurpees, with a eight-ounce serving containing 20 calories. The new-and-improved drinks are flavored with sugar-free Fanta.

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The new slurpees will target women in their 20s with this tagline: “All flavor. No sugar,” USA Today reports.

The new flavors will debut May 23 on “SlurpFree Day.” Customers can taste the new sugar-free mango flavor from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in 7.11-ounce servings (Get it?).

Sugary drinks are a significant contributor to America’s weight problem. The slimmed-down flavors come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 42% of U.S. population will be obese by 2030 and The Institute of Medicine recommended banning sugary drinks at schools and encouraged the production of low-calorie snacks and treats.

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“It helps people become more aware of the calories they are consuming, It’s nice to have guilt-free frozen options when the weather is hot,” Lisa Lillien, the Food Network host who heads the calorie-conscious “Hungry Girl” brand, told the Los Angeles Times.

But not everyone is satisfied with the new slurpees. “Now it’s just a different kind of junk food,” Neal Barnard, an adjunct associate professor of medicine at George Washington University told USA Today. “This should not be mistaken as any kind of corporate responsibility. They’re just trying to sell you the same stuff in a different package.”

Stay tuned to see if “skinny” slurpees help slim America’s expanding waistline.

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