Sugary Drinks: Orange Juice vs Chewbaccas (height in sugar cubes)

See how your sugary drinks habit scales when comparing orange juice to chewbaccas (height in sugar cubes). See how your daily sodas, juices or energy drinks stack up against sugar-intake limits, and visualize the total volume as hot tubs or water coolers.

Example: Sugary Drinks

For example, consuming 1 soda can of sugary drinks per day could be equivalent to approximately 4818.00 rda sugar who over 1 year. Enable JavaScript to calculate with your own values and explore more comparisons!

Size My Sugary Drinks

Size my:

240mL glass (no added sugar): 110 kcal, 21g sugar (84% WHO RDA)

My Orange Juice per day

Compare to / Assess

Your Habit Scale

See how your consumption adds up over time.

Time Period	Equivalent in Chewbaccas (height in sugar cubes)
1 Year	26.9 Chewbaccas
5 Years	134.5 Chewbaccas
25 Years	672.4 Chewbaccas

How It's Calculated

1. Your input: 2 Orange Juice per day.
2. Your daily intake contains about 42g of sugar, which is equivalent to 10.5 sugar cubes.
3. Each sugar cube is about 1.6cm tall. This equates to a daily stack of 16.8 cm.
4. One chewbaccas is 2.28 meters (≈ 7.5 feet) tall.
5. The final result is found by dividing your total stacked height over time by the height/length of one chewbaccas.

Why It's Important

Prepare for a sugar-fueled spectacle! The amount of sugar in your annual candy intake, if converted to sugar cubes and stacked, would be as tall as 26.9 Chewbaccas(s). That's a crystalline tower of sweetness so immense it could rival prehistoric beasts, famous statues, or even giant Wookiees!

The power of this visual is in its absurdity and scale. It translates the hidden sugar in your treats into a massive, tangible structure. This isn't just about a few extra calories; it's about understanding the colossal volume of sugar consumed over a year. This starkly illustrates the health risks associated with high sugar intake, making it a memorable and motivating tool for anyone looking to manage their diet and sugar consumption.

Do you need help with your habit? See our list of international helplines and resources.

The Science Behind It

Sugary beverages—from sodas and energy drinks to juices and iced teas—are a primary source of added sugars in many diets. This calculator helps you understand your consumption by translating it into total sugar, calories, and tangible comparisons, based on nutritional data and health guidelines.

1. Free Sugars and Health Risks

The sugars in these drinks are "free sugars," which are rapidly absorbed by the body. Unlike sugars in whole fruit, they lack fiber, leading to quick spikes in blood sugar and insulin. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting daily free sugar intake to just 25 grams to reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dental cavities.

2. Fructose Metabolism and the Liver

Many sugary drinks are high in fructose (often from high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose). The liver is the primary site for fructose metabolism. When consumed in excess, especially in liquid form, fructose can overwhelm the liver, promoting the creation of fat (de novo lipogenesis). This contributes to elevated triglycerides and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

3. "Empty" Calories and Weight Gain

Liquid calories from sugary drinks are less satiating than calories from solid food. This means they often don't trigger the same fullness signals, making it easy to consume excess energy without realizing it. This contributes directly to a positive energy balance and weight gain over time.

4. Nutritional Data Accuracy

The calorie and sugar data for each beverage in this calculator are based on standard values from the USDA FoodData Central database. This ensures that the calculations for total calories, sugar grams, and RDA percentages are grounded in reliable, standardized nutritional information.