Sadly, it's almost less than one would think, but it's still a pretty foul amount. The answer, according to Beverage Marketing Corporation (who, by the name alone, sound like they would know about this sort of thing) say it's 45 gallons, or 487 cans per year. That might sound like a lot of a little, but try it this way...The average 'merican drinks 375 pounds of soda. That's a lot of soda. This all translates to 68,000 calories, which means taht the average American drinks 1.1 MONTHS of calories in soda. 

americansodaavg.jpg

Bear in mind though, that this is an average. Lots of people don't drink any soda, so that means that those that do are towing the line and probably drinking a lot more than the "average." If we knocked this off, we would all be 10% skinnier. But...I bet we don't. 

Our national beer consumption is 20.8 gallons, which seems to be a little backwards, seeing as how beer actually makes you feel good and might help you get laid. Soda? Not so much. People don't get conditioned to drink beer as little kids; they do with soda. 

Maybe we'll be able to put a face to this epidemic when a whole generation of fatties get their feet chopped off because of diabetes. That will be embarrasssing. "This once great nation is now reduced to a land of obsese people on Rascals because they couldn't stop drinking soda. Let this be a lesson, Great Nation of China." (Gizmodo)