[ninininino]

Is there a lack of education on nutrition?

Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s in the United States in a middle class suburban environment, it was definitely considered "boring" to get a water instead of a soda when going out for dinner at a restaurant as a family, but at home it was not. I think we had some awareness that it wasn't healthy to drink soda for every single meal or just when hanging out, but it absolutely was considered normal to have it every day, to drink several cans at a party, to drink several cans at work. If you had drank it at breakfast you would have been looked at like you were crazy though.

Now, living in a coastal, cultural capital city as an adult, I don't know anyone who drinks soda in their normal day-to-day life, at home, at restaurants, etc. except in special situations. If anything flavored sparkling water is common. But if I visit my hometown, I do see that people still drink soda heavily, but its diet soda.