It begs the question, what’s so bad about soda? (and pizza!?)

It comes down to calories. Water has zero calories and a regular can of soda has hundreds, mostly from sugar. Sugar and high fructose corn syrup are bad for you because they are empty calories and HFCS promotes weight gain.

Also, it appears that in addition to empty calories, soda can promote tooth decay as the acids and acidic sugar byproducts can soften tooth enamel. The softer enamel combined with improper brushing can lead to tooth loss. The diet versions, which don’t contain sugar, are less dangerous but the acid is still a factor.

On the whole, soda is bad for you.

(Photo: fimoculous)

A pound of fat is about 3500 calories, so cutting a 120 a week for a year would save you 1.8 lb. of fat a year. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, that’s one soda a week. How many 12 oz. sodas do you consume in a week? What if you cut out one a day? 12.5 lb. of fat removed.

Typically I write more about personal finance than I do about health but there are so many similarities between the two. With your health, it’s about calories. With your wallet, it’s about cents. Cutting out one small “bad” thing for you, whether it’s your health or your wallet, is the key to making significant life long changes that will benefit you for the better. Just try skipping one soda and taking that 2 lb. difference to the bank. Maybe next year it goes to skipping two a week.

Start looking for things you consume that are only calories and provide no other nutrients. Soda is a great example (no, sodium doesn’t count) but there are plenty of other high calorie, low nutrient foods that you may be eating on a frequent basis that you could cut out.

Of course, I don’t think that you should cut everything fun out of your eating. The occasional piece of chocolate or glass of wine can do your psyche a world of good. Sometimes, you may even need two glasses.