Waistline bulge could be coming from slurping soda

Soda is cheap, and tastes good.
However, Harvard researchers say slurp just one extra soft drink a day for a year and gain 15 pounds or more.

So, what makes soda so bad for you?

First, the main ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, which is a thick condensed form of sugar.

Researchers found the sweetener in just one 12-ounce can of regular soda is the equivalent of eating 10-teaspoons of sugar.

A second problem is portion size.

"We think when you have these high sugar items, like a soda, you actually get more hungry, about two or three hours later," says Weight Management Researcher Dr. Ken Fujioka. "As kids have maybe 6 to 8 ounces of soda, now a standard size is 16, 20, 32 ounces. So if you're drinking a soda instead of say water your getting an extra 150, 200 or 300 calories you really don't need."

The American Beverage Association issued the following statement, rebuffing the Harvard report: "Blaming one specific product or ingredient as the root cause of obesity defies common sense. Instead, there are many contributing factors including regular physical activity."

Federal dietary guidelines recommend drinks without added sugar and the World Health Organization advises sugary drinks should make up less than 10-percent of your total daily calories.