from msn.com: Sales of McDonald’s in the United States fell 3.3 percent in the last quarter. The consumption of sodas fell last year to 1995 levels, according to the industry specialist Beverage Digest. Americans drank on the average 51 gallons (nearly 200 liters) of soda per person in 1998; last year, it was 44 gallons. The fall is more marked for light sodas, which fell six percent amid concerns sparked by studies suggesting some synthetic sweeteners were carcinogenic. “There’s a shift away from the perception of food that is mass-produced towards food that is perceived to be more homemade or artisanal or sustainably produced,” said Keith-Thomas Ayoob, associate clinical professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “Consumers want to feel that they’re doing healthier things and eating a healthier diet.” More and more Americans are making the link between fast food and sodas, and life-long health problems like obesity and diabetes, said Sriram Madhusoodanan, an organizer of the anti-fast-food campaign “Value [the] Meal” at Corporate Accountability International.