I down 5 litres of Dr Pepper a day – here’s how it’s wrecked my body,
Partial to a can of fizzy pop?
The cautionary tale of 42 year-old Tom Bowey may make you think twice about your sugary drink habit.
Dubbed ‘Dr Pepper Man’ by his friends, the father-of-two spent £30,000 on the drink over the last decade, guzzling nearly five litres (two and a quarter giant bottles) per day.
The warehouse manager estimated that his habit set him back around £250 per month and, despite worrying about the impact on his wallet, he failed to give up.
However, his increasing waistline, trouble sleeping and terrible oral health eventually proved to be the motivation he needed to change his ways.
‘For a while my teeth weren’t too bad, but then I went to the dentist and he said the level of acid erosion was similar to what he’d expect in a 70 year-old,’ said Mr Bowey, from Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
‘I’ve basically got the teeth of a pensioner. I was also feeling really bloated all the time as well, you gain a lot of weight when you’re just drinking sugar.’
Determined to make a change, he searched for help online and, in September, came across articles about how hypnotherapist David Kilmurry had helped others.
Mr Bowey said that just one two-hour Zoom session with Mr Kilmurry was enough to see him quit completely.
Today, he sips pints of water and weak squash when he’s thirsty instead of reaching for pop.
The health benefits have been significant. He’s dropped a stone in weight and no longer wears large clothes sizes.
He’s falling asleep quickly and feels more rested in the mornings, and has kicked the persistent headaches and bloating he’s long suffered.
Speaking of the beginnings of his habit Mr Bowey said: ‘It started with one [drink] with lunch and then me and my work colleagues started buying each other drinks throughout the day.
‘They’d bring them over from the cafe near work. There was also a vending machine so I could just pop in and get them whenever I wanted.
‘Before I knew it, that’s all I was drinking and then I stopped drinking water completely.
‘I used to buy the 24 can multipacks so I always had them and had at least five cans in the fridge all the time.
‘I’d have my first one as soon as I woke up, and I would always take a can with me for the drive to work as well.
‘I’d buy two bottles before I got into work from the shop for the morning, then I’d have another two in the afternoon.
‘Then when I went home I would drink more throughout the evening before I went to bed.
‘The guy at my local shop called me “Dr Pepper man” because that was all I’d buy.’
He says his children were a motivating factor in getting him to give up.
His eldest daughter often asked for Coca Cola, but Mr Bowey and his partner did not allow their children to copy their father’s unhealthy habits.
He said: ‘If I’m sitting there drinking it all day long at some point they’re going to say “if you can drink them all the time why can’t we?”‘
Mr Bowey said his hypnotherapy session has virtually eliminated all cravings for Coca Cola and Dr Pepper.
‘I don’t look at fizzy drinks, I’m not remotely tempted.
‘I’ve changed to cordial, I put a little in my water bottle. I’m drinking so much water now, I feel so much better.
‘The size large clothes are now too big so I have to buy medium.
‘As long as you go into the session feeling positive and determined you want it to work, it really does.’
Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist Dr Kilmurry said he often sees clients patients experience unpleasant symptoms when they suddenly stop consuming large amounts of caffeine and sugar.
‘Withdrawal can lead to mood swings, depression and even fits and seizures,’ he said.
