not thank you after a few of those cocktails.
A pina colada, with its sugar-filled mixer and artificial flavoring, will cost you a minimum of 300 calories (but could cost you up to 600 calories) and more than 30 grams of sugar, Fitness Magazine reported.
4. Milkshakes
Although they may taste good, milkshakes will have you taking in an extra 500 to 1,000 calories more than you burn daily. That results in a 1- to 2-pound gain per week. Milkshakes are an easy and tasty way to add fat around your waistline, so be careful. Restaurant and fast-food versions are usually full of processed sugar and unhealthy fats that can still cause health problems in the underweight.
5. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are another beverage that seems like a healthy option. However, they’re also something that you may want to leave on the store shelf if you’re not an athlete or are not taking on serious physical activity.
Sports drinks were originally designed to serve a specific purpose of replenishing electrolytes lost in sweat before, during, and after athletic activity. But now, sports drinks and the activities surrounding them have changed.
Just consider the fact that a 12-ounce serving of cola has around 39 grams of sugar, while a sports drink usually includes no less than 21 grams, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. That added sugar may contribute to calories, and an imbalance of electrolytes can add up to water weight. Some sports drinks contain caffeine, which can either boost metabolism and contribute to weight loss, or disrupt sleep and slow down metabolism, leading to weight gain.
Beverage Industry Perspective
Americans are drinking fewer sugary drinks, according to the American Beverage Association. In its statement, it says that calorie intake from sugary drinks declined by more than 20% between 2001 and 2010.
“By every measure, sugar-sweetened beverages play a small and declining role in the American diet,” it says.
“Obesity is caused by an imbalance between calories consumed from all foods and beverages and those burned through physical activity,” the statement says.
The industry group took exception with the new findings. Among the many criticisms:
- The study in children, it says, did not consider physical activity and total calories.
- The genetic study looked only at the 32 known genes linked with weight, but these account for only a small amount of BMI variation, according to the American Beverage Association.