Topic: Sugar with your tea?

Q. On Jan. 1 last year, I switched from using a sugar substitute in my tea every morning to using sugar. It's been 1 year and I have gained 7 pounds. Could this small change have contributed to my weight gain? I drink four cups a morning and use 2 large teaspoons (about 1 tablespoon) per cup.

Cheryl / California

A. Although there may be other factors at work, a little math demonstrates that adding sugar to your tea may contribute to weight gain.

One tablespoon of sugar translates into 50 added calories. At four cups per day, that's an extra 200 calories. Multiply that times 365 days, and you get 73,000 additional calories for the year.

It takes about 3,500 "extra" calories (beyond the amount needed to maintain a stable weight) to gain 1 pound. So, divide your extra 73,000 calories from sugar-sweetened tea by 3,500 — and you get 20.8 pounds in a year. Obviously, your other dietary and exercise habits play a role.

But as you can see, it is possible that this seemingly small change in your intake may contribute to extra weight.