The woman who drank nothing but soda, and 5 other bizarre junk-food stories

The teen who ate nothing but packaged ramen, the man addicted to Big Macs, and more

Soda
(Image credit: MICK TSIKAS/Reuters/Corbis)

1. The woman who drank only soda for 16 years

As is generally well understood, sugar-rich soda can inflict horrible harm on the human body. After all, a single 12 oz. can of Coca-Cola contains the rough equivalent of two shot glasses full of pure, granulated sugar. Which is why it's mind boggling that a 31-year-old woman from Monaco claims to have consumed only soda for 16 years straight. No water, juice, or tea — just high-fructose corn-syrup fizz. Doctors found this out when she fainted due to dangerously low potassium levels. According to health experts, too much cola can cause excess water to enter the bowels, meaning she was essentially cursed with persistent diarrhea. Her potassium levels — as well as an irregular heartbeat — stabilized a bit after she abstained from soda for a week and was forced to drink only water.

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.