Odds are good that if you're watching your weight or trying to lose weight, you approach candy bars with caution. Since they contain about 270 calories, you might only savor one occasionally as a treat. Or you might just not eat them.

 You should probably treat sodas the same way. Regular 20-ounce sodas pack about as many calories as a typical candy bar, which may be why the advocacy group Centers for Science in the Public Interest dubs them "liquid candy." According to the organization, a 12-ounce can contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar, and a 20-ounce bottle contains 17 teaspoons.

As a result, drinking sodas regularly may lead to more weight and more health problems. In a 2007 study in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers analyzed 88 previous studies on sodas. Of the studies that examined the relationship between sodas and calorie consumption, most found that drinking more sodas led to consuming more calories (meaning that people weren't cutting back on calories elsewhere to make up for the sodas). Another found that women who drank at least one serving of soda daily were twice as likely to develop diabetes over 8 years as women who drank less than one a month.

Switching to diet sodas may not be the answer. In a study from 2008 that followed people for about 7 years, those starting with a normal weight who drank more than 21 artificially sweetened beverages weekly had almost twice the risk of becoming overweight or obese compared to those who drank none. "These findings raise the question whether artificial sweetener use might be fueling - rather than fighting - our escalating obesity epidemic," the authors wrote.

As a result, if you're watching your weight, cutting out sodas and switching to water is an important step. If you need more variety in your drinking habits, reach for low-fat milk and green tea, too, since these are associated with a variety of health benefits.

Learn more about diabetes screening.

Learn more about cholesterol screening.

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