Mike reaps health benefits of kicking sugary drink habit
by Clare O'Shea, Media and Communications Officer
- March 1, 2018
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- VIC
- Healthy eating
- Sugary drinks
- Weight Management
- Sugar
- Cancer
- Personal Stories
- Men's Health
- Healthy Champion
- Drinks
You wouldn’t know it now, but Melbourne barista Mike Dupes drank nearly half a litre of soft drink a day throughout his teen years, weighing in at over 120kg at his heaviest.
Twenty years ago Mike started to make positive changes to his everyday life by coupling healthy eating with regular exercise.
He soon realised continuing to drink soft drinks provided no benefits and was counter-productive to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Since making the change Mike has shed around 30 kilos.
“They looked good, they tasted good and they were always accessible,” the 31-year-old said.
“I used to have a couple of cans of Fanta or Coke a day and only drank out of a force of habit”
“I noticed people who were leading active lifestyles weren’t drinking soft drink and that motivated me even more”
By cutting back on sugary soft drinks, Mike has reduced his risk of unhealthy weight gain and tooth decay, plus a range of weight-related health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and 13 types of cancer.
“If I had known just how bad they were for me back then I wouldn’t have thought about touching them”
Ready to give up the sweet stuff?
Check out our top tips for cutting back on sugary drinks, or try our refreshing drink options that aren’t packed with sugar.
