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AS A world-renowned musical artist with countless chart-topping songs, millions of adoring fans and a handful of awards, there’s not a lot that Post Malone hasn’t accomplished. Now, the 28-year-old has conquered his personal final frontier—getting his diet in check to the point the rapper has “never felt healthier.”

In a recent interview with Joe Rogan, Posty revealed he’s gone from 109kg to 84kg and spilled on the dieting secret that helped him lose 27kg. The secret? Choosing to literally spill on sugary beverages and cut them out of his diet. Post declared that his transformation wouldn’t have been possible had the rapper maintained his previous penchant for soft drinks.

Post’s struggle to give up sugary drinks is one that many share (guilty). “Soda is so bad. It’s so good but so bad,” Post said, and ain’t that the truth. “If I had a great show, and I’m feeling a little bit naughty, I’m gonna have myself a Coke on ice.” Honestly, if we were performing in front of sell-out crowds most nights of the week, we’d probably want to treat ourselves too. But ultimately, Post says giving up on his vice has been the key to feeling healthier.

Post previously addressed concerns that he was slimming down too fast on Instagram. “I wanted to say that I’m not doing drugs,” Post began, addressing the claims that drug use was behind his weight loss. “I’m having a lot of fun performing, and have never felt healthier.”

“My brain is in a super dope place, and I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time,” Post continued, before attributing the birth of his daughter in 2022 as the turning point in his fitness journey. Although he conceded that the journey isn’t over yet, “Next up is smokes and brews, but I like to consider myself a patient man… lol!”

Why are soft drinks so unhealthy?

Ever the enthusiast of the paleo diet, Joe Rogan, who has a habit of hunting his own meals, was quick to praise Post’s decision to reduce his soft drink intake, citing the negative impacts of sugar consumption. “Your body never gets that sugar in the wild,” Rogan said. “You get sugar in fruit, but when you have a glass of sugar water, it’s pouring right into your bloodstream. Your body is like what the fuck is this?’

Rogan is right, there’s nothing wrong with a little sugar, as many healthy foods like fruit naturally contain an abundance of the stuff, but limiting sugar intake is crucial in maintaining a healthy diet.

According to Health Direct, high sugar consumption can contribute to obesity, heart disease, and fatty liver disease. Soft drinks are extremely high in sugar and contain no essential nutrients. A single can of Coke contains about ten teaspoons of sugar, while the recommended daily sugar intake is six teaspoons or less. It’s easy to see how Post’s after show habit can lead to health complications.

Should you cut out unnecessary sugar?

Cutting down on sugar can lead to weight loss, improved physical performance, and can even reduce your risk of depression. But, as is the case with most things, sugar shouldn’t be cut out of your diet entirely, but consumed in moderation. Yes, we know you’ve heard that before, but it’s true. Given that a single can of soft drink will put you over the recommended daily limit for sugar, it’s best to pass on them more often than not, but an occasional treat isn’t the end of the world. And we all know how well that 4pm sugar hit goes down.

Are the alternatives to soft drinks any healthier?

The idea that diet or zero sugar versions of popular soft drinks are healthier is a massive misconception. Sure, these alternatives do have less sugar, but they still have no vital nutrients, and they have to get their sweetness from somewhere. Zero sugar soft drinks use alternative sweeteners like aspartame, which, according to a recent report from the World Health Organisation, are considered “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. High consumption of aspartame has also been shown to increase the risk of developing cancer by as much as 15%. So, maybe it’s best to give them a pass most of the time.

“Diet soft drinks are obviously there to help people reduce their sugar intake, but this is a reminder, especially for those consumers who do have soft drinks, whether it be sugar contained or artificial sweetener contained, to limit their moderation,” AMA Queensland Vice President, Dr Nick Yim told Today in June on healthy levels of consumption.

What is aspartame?

Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener that’s around 200 times sweeter than sugar. It’s used in food and drink to sweeten the product, without adding extra kilojoules.

It’s commonly found in diet sodas — including Coke Zero and Diet Coke — as well as some chewing gums, sugar-free puddings and desserts, yogurts, and more. Per the United States Government’s National Library of Medicine, it is found in around 6000 products.

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