"Milk builds strong bones!" "Drink water!""Too much pop [soda] will rot your teeth!" Are you one ofthe gazillions of teens harped at about your soda pop consumption?Listen up, because all the hype may not be off the mark afterall.

On any given day, the typical teen downs twice as much pop as milk orjuice and nearly four times as much pop as water, according to arecent study by the Center for Science Research. The study, andothers like it, targets pop, along with fast food, as the primarycause of the rise of teen obesity.

Guys consume an average of 4.33 cans per day, with girls tanking outat around three. Considering the average 20-ounce bottle of non-dietsoda packs a whopping 250 calories, that's anywhere from 700 to 1000calories a day from pop alone - a sizable chunk of an optimal 2,000calorie-a-day diet.

Sweet sugary taste and the ever-present caffeine-buzz are a big draw,but convenience also plays a big role. Pop machines are everywhere,but how often do you see a milk machine? Vending machines have becomea normal commodity around high schools - and a financially lucrativeone as well. Not only are students enjoying the products, but schoolsare also enjoying the economic benefits provided by contracts madewith soft drink companies. Eighteen Kent County school districts,representing 92,500 students, have signed major contracts with popcompanies. The glow from vending machines that now light the halls ofacademia symbolize both the widening of soda's corporate bankaccounts... and the widening of the teenage gut. Burp.