What really causes weight gain? The answer is skipping meals, gorging later in the day, eating bigger portions, and drinking large amounts of non-diet soft drinks.
Drinking soda alone will not directly cause weight gain. However, the appealing taste of soda makes it easy to drink too much, and over indulging could lead to weight gain. Ounce per ounce, soda contains a high amount of sugar, making a few big gulps worth a lot of calories. One 12-ounce can of regular (non-diet) soda contains about 150 calories, and one 20-ounce bottle contains about 250 calories. An extra 150 calories a day will make you gain 15 pounds a year.
With soft drinks it is easy to consume extra calories in addition to regular meals and snacks. The fact is, if you eat more calories than your body needs, you will gain weight. A study done on school children proved that those who drank nine or more ounces of soda a day consumed 300 calories more than those who didn’t drink soda at all.
All of the calories in soda come from added sugar. The USDA recommends that for a healthy and balanced 2,200-calorie diet, 12 teaspoons of added sugar can be consumed per day. One can of non-diet soda contains 9 teaspoons of sugar, and a 20-ounce bottle contains 15 teaspoons of sugar! This exceeds the recommended limit for a whole day. Look at the following chart to see how soda compares to other foods that have added sugar.
Instead of drinking a can of soda, try eating your calories in the form of food, and see if you find it more satisfying. For the amount of calories in one can of soda you could eat one of the following nutritious choices:
• 2 cups of fresh pineapple
• 3 cups of watermelon
• 1 ½ bananas
• 3 large peaches
• 2 small oranges
• 3 kiwis
• 2 apples
• ½ cup ice cream
• 2 small pancakes
• 2½ Graham Cracker squares
• 2 slices of bread
• 1 medium bagel
• 1 English muffin
• 3 cups of popcorn
Soft drinks, along with all other foods and beverages, can fit into a healthy diet if consumed in moderation.
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Laura Sasson Shammah has completed her Master’s Degree in nutrition at Brooklyn College. She is currently a nutrition counselor practicing in Brooklyn.
