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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg must love this new study. The mayor has recently banned sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces, and now, a new study led by the Harvard School of Public Health reveals that drinking soda and sugary drinks in itself increases an individual’s risk of obesity—regardless of a consumer’s other habits that could contribute to weight gain. The decades-long study of more than 33,000 Americans also had some good news for diet soda drinkers: sugar-free sodas don’t seem raise the risk of obesity. The intuitive study also found that genetics—along with eating and exercise habits—can make a person more susceptible to becoming overweight. The Harvard study is the first to prove conclusively that reducing soda consumption would lower weight or body fat.