Milkshakes and sodas were both originally marketed as health drinks in the late 1800's, and often given as tonics to the ill and infirm. Today, they are more likely to be the cause of what ails you. Fast food sodas and shakes offer little nutritional value, are high in sugar and calories and should be only occasionally indulged in.
Soda
The drink that used to be an occasional treat is now indulged in on a daily basis. The Mayo Clinic explains that there is a critical sugar overload in soda: Regardless of restaurant, one soda typically contains 140 calories and 9 tbsp.of sugar. Soda contains no nutritional value providing only empty calories -- and all of those in the form of sugars -- for your body.
Shakes
Fast food shakes tend to be high in calories because of the added sugar and saturated fat content that make the shake tastier. According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, fast food shakes, like the McDonald's 32 ounce shake, contain 1,330 calories, 26 g of fat and 410 mg of sodium. In this single drink offering, you are consuming almost an entire days worth of calories.
Super Size
Fast food restaurants commonly super size their items, including drinks. Fast food sodas and shakes are now nearly double or triple suggested serving sizes. Consumers tend to drink more at a fast food restaurant because of the perceived value -- for a few pennies more, you can increase the size of your drink substantially. And while you may be saving pennies for that extra-large choice, your are adding more calories and increasing the risk for health problems. Comparatively, an average small cola soft drink weighs in at 150 calories, while super-sizing that option increases the load to 410 calories. A small McDonald's shake contains about 430 calories, which is substantially high. Supersizing that shake up to 32 oz. delivers a whopping 1,160 calorie punch.
Risks
Indulging in sodas and shakes add extra calories to your diet, and excessive calories lead to obesity. According to the UCLA Center for Healthy Policy Research, there is a direct correlation between soda consumption and being overweight. Researchers discovered that if you drink more than one soda a day you are 27 percent more likely to become obese. The study also found that 62 percent of adults drink at least one soda a day totaling 39 pounds of sugar per year just from soda consumption. Fast-food shakes are also high in calories and sugar which can lead to obesity and even diabetes.
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