I drink five liters of Dr Pepper a day and don’t drink water. This is how it destroyed my body
Partially on a can of fizzy pop?
The cautionary tale of 42-year-old Tom Bowey might make you think twice about your sugary drink habit.
The father-of-two, dubbed ‘Dr Pepper Man’ by his friends, has spent £30,000 on the drink over the past decade, guzzling almost five liters (two and a quarter giant bottles) a day.
The warehouse manager estimated that his habit earned him around £250 a month and despite worrying about the impact on his wallet, he didn’t give it up.
However, his increasing waistline, sleep problems, and terrible oral health ultimately 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 would expect in a 70-year-old,” said Mr Bowey, from Marlow. Buckinghamshire.
‘I actually have the teeth of a retiree. I also felt bloated all the time, if you only drink sugar you will gain a lot of weight.’
Determined to make a change, he looked for help online and in September came across articles about how hypnotherapist David Kilmurry had helped others.
Tom Bowey downed five liters of sugary soda every day for almost a decade, causing headaches, bloating, rotting teeth and insomnia.
Mr Bowey said just one two-hour Zoom session with Mr Kilmurry was enough to see him quit completely.
These days, he drinks gallons of water and weak squash when he’s thirsty, instead of reaching for soda.
The health benefits have been significant. He has put on a lot of weight and no longer wears large clothing sizes.
He falls asleep quickly and feels more rested in the morning, getting rid of the persistent headaches and bloating that have plagued him for so long.
Speaking about the beginnings of his habit, Mr Bowey said: ‘It started with one [drink] with lunch and then me and my colleagues started buying each other drinks throughout the day.
‘They brought them from the cafe near work. There was also a vending machine so I could just come in and get them whenever I wanted.
‘Before I knew it, that was all I drank and then I stopped drinking water completely.
‘I used to buy the multipacks with 24 cans, so I always had them with me and there were always at least five cans in the fridge.
Dr Pepper fanatic Tom Bowey has lost more than a stone since switching from Dr Pepper to water and liqueur, and has seen other improvements in his physical and mental health. The father-of-two has spent £30,000 on his habit over ten years.
‘As soon as I woke up I had my first one, and I always took a can with me on the way to work.
‘I bought two bottles before I left the store for work in the morning, and had two more in the afternoon.
‘Then when I went home, I drank more throughout the evening before I went to bed.
“The guy at my local store called me ‘Dr Pepper guy’ because that’s all I would buy.”
He says his children were a motivating factor in pushing him to give it 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 sit there drinking all day, at some point they’ll say, “If you can drink them all the time, why can’t we?”
The father of two didn’t want his daughters to copy his unhealthy habits. In the photo: Mr Bowey in 2019 with daughter Sydney.
Mr Bowey said his hypnotherapy session virtually eliminated cravings for Coca Cola and Dr Pepper.
‘I don’t look at soda, I’m not tempted.
‘I’ve switched to cordial, I put a little in my water bottle. I drink 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 with a positive feeling and determination, you want it to work.’
Cognitive behavioral hypnotherapist Dr. Kilmurry said he often sees clients experience unpleasant symptoms when they suddenly stop consuming large amounts of caffeine and sugar.
“Withdrawal can lead to mood swings, depression and even seizures and seizures,” he said.
