A self-confessed ‘soda-addict’ who downs 18 litres of fizzy drink everyday has shocked social media with his ‘dangerous’ habit — which puts him at risk of diabetes, kidney stones and tooth loss.
Steve Kinyon, who lives in Utah in the US, revealed his astonishing drinking routine in a TikTok video that’s so far been viewed 8million times, which sees him guzzling can after can of pop, before ramming them in an over-filled bin.
The father-of-one appears to be curious about the impact of his habit on his health, asking viewers in various video clips if it will ‘lead to my cause of death?’
His viewers are equally concerned, leaving a sting of comments to express their fears for his body.
One simply asked: ‘Is this a cry for help?’, while another said, ‘kidney stones the size of a golf ball are in your future’.
Some raised the possibility that Mr Kinyon could soon develop diabetes as a result of consuming thousands of excess calories via the drinks.
One commenter, claiming to be an emergency medical technician, said the ‘dangerous’ habit could ‘provoke renal failure’, while another, a dentist, claimed his tooth enamel had ‘left the building’.
In a TikTok viewed over 8million times Steve Kinyon, who lives in Utah in the US, revealed he downed almost 5 US gallons (about 18litres) of carbonated beverages like Diet Dr Pepper, as part of his daily routine
Mr Kinyon demonstrating the massive supply of fizzy drinks he keeps in stock
In the video, titled ‘LIFE OF A SODA ADDICT PART XII’ Mr Kinyon detailed how he ‘starts every day’ with four cans of Diet Dr Pepper, as he ‘needs that caffeine’ — and drinking them on the way to the gym.
This already puts his soda intake at 48 liquid ounces (about 1.4litres), more than two pints of milk.
This also put his caffeine intake at about 160mg, nearly half the daily recommended limit for an adult.
He then adds another three litres of fizzy drinks to a ‘mega bottle’ which he downs on the way back from his workout.
Mr Kinyon also admitted to drinking water while doing his fitness routine at the gym.
Back at home, he downs a couple more Dr Peppers and a few cans of the American soda brand Fresca.
He adds the latter to a thermos to which he also mixes in taurine, an amino acid commonly added to energy drinks that helps boost the performance of cells in the body, taking his total to around six litres — the equivalent of 18 cans of Coke.
Mr Kinyon then proceeds to ‘pound’ multiple cans of drinks like soda and root beer and even buying a large takeaway container of fizzy drink while running an errand.
By the end of the working day, he’s now up to a whopping 13.8 litres.
Social media users expressed their dismay at Mr Kinyon’s habits, with one asking if it was a ‘cry for help’
Whether it is tea, coffee or an energy drink, caffeine has the ability to give a boost in mood, energy and performance, but it can cause anxiety, increased heart rate and higher blood pressure
But he adds even more to the total ordering three large fizzy drinks at the cinema.
His total at the end of the day comes in at just over 18 litres.
Mr Kinyon didn’t detail the exact brands of many of the fizzy drinks he drank but has previously described diet and zero sugar versions as his ‘vice’ and said he regularly drinks over 300 liquid ounces (about 9 litres) of diet soda per day.
While diet sodas are generally considered healthy than full sugar versions, there are still some health risks associated with them.
Even diet versions are acidic and as such can erode the protective outer layer of the teeth called the enamel.
This is why experts recommend people drink them at mealtimes, rather than on the go, as consuming the liquid with food can help mitigate the damage.
Concerns have also been raised about some artificial sweeteners, which are added as a sugar substitute, being linked to cancer.
These fears were heightened in 2023 after the World Health Organisation controversially classified the artificial sweetener aspartame, found in drinks like Diet Coke, as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’.
However, the UN agency ruled it only posed a risk to those who consumed massive amounts and that an 11 stone (70kg) adult could safely drink about 14 cans a day.
While Mr Kinyon appeared to have consumed far more than a dozen cans in a single day, how much aspartame is in many of the drinks is unclear.
The safe limit aspartame is set at 40mg per kg of body weight per day.
Drinking too many fizzy drinks could also potentially lead people to consume more caffeine than recommended.
A Diet Dr Pepper, like that shown in Mr Kinyon’s clip, contains about 40mg of caffeine.
The NHS recommends that adults limit themselves to about 400mg of caffeine per day, about 10 cans of Diet Dr Pepper.
Drinking too much of the stimulant can cause issues like high blood pressure and anxiety.
It can also be harmful to those with heart conditions like long QT syndrome where electrical signals in the heart don’t work correctly, which can lead it to beat dangerously fast.
It also irritates the bladder and bowel which can lead to increased trips to the toilet.