Super-sized sodas

In 1955, when McDonald’s execs made a deal with Coca-Cola to sell Coke exclusively in their shops, the only beverage size available was a 7-ounce cup. By 1994, however, Mickey D’s was offering a fountain drink six times bigger.

By then, every other fast-food chain, as well as convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, had jumped on the super-size bandwagon. Little wonder: Fountain sodas are the most profitable item in the store, and the bigger the cup, the greater the profit.

Problem is, sweetened beverages are a major contributor to America’s obesity epidemic, and with it the increase in diabetes sufferers.

Here’s a chart, courtesy of the folks at motherjones.com, that illustrates the growth in soda portions over the years:

Source: http://tinyurl.com/sodasizes