Health Compounding
What does the ketchup packet cost over 25 years?
The Ketchup Packet
8 grams, 156 times/year, 25 years — the long-term cost is 69 pounds.
How the number's built.
The packet is ordinary enough to disappear into the day. At 8 grams across 156 servings a year, it becomes 69 pounds of added sugar over 25 years.
If you changed one thing
Half the pattern stays.
35 pounds stay outside the routine.
No rush. It keeps until you want it.
A way through
cutting the pattern in half
624 grams/year avoided
× 25 years
÷ 453.592 = 35 pounds avoided
The Math
8 grams / serving
156 servings / year = 1,248 grams/year
× 25 years = 31,200 grams
÷ 453.592 grams/pound = 69 pounds
Assumptions
- Each serving contains 8 grams of added sugar.
- 156 servings happen each year.
- Timeline spans 25 years.
- This is arithmetic from stated assumptions, not a disease-risk claim.
The arithmetic of ketchup packet
Last reviewed: May 2026.
An estimate built for reflection — not financial, medical, or legal advice. The figures follow the assumptions above.