In a survey conducted by the nonprofit Consumers Foundation on the “bubble tea” drinking habits of local residents, 2.7 percent of respondents said they had three cups of the high-calorie beverage per day, or one per meal.

A spokesman for the foundation warned that such heavy consumption of the beverage, also known as “pearl milk tea, “ was unhealthy because three cups were the equivalent of 1,179 calories, more than half the daily requirement for people aged 20 or over.

He cited a 2006 report by Taipei Medical University Hospital to back his warning.

The study found that a 700 cc cup of “pearl milk tea, “ with full servings of syrup and cream powder had 393 calories, and noted that excessive consumption might not only cause obesity, but also diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The survey, conducted from Feb. 22 to March 12 with 6,962 valid responses, also revealed that 1,086 respondents, or 15.98 percent, drank one cup of the beverage per day.

Those who drink one cup a day for 20 consecutive days would gain a kilogram, the spokesman said.

Only 945 respondents, or 13.73 percent, said they had never drank “bubble tea, “ while 1,114 people, or 16.01 percent said they had fewer than five cups of bubble tea per year; 1,939 people, or 27.51 percent, had 1-5 cups every week; and 1,706 people, or 24.04 percent, had 1-3 cups every month, according to the survey.

Overall, the 6,962 respondents drank a total 931,500 cups of “bubble tea” a year, the survey found.

The tea beverage was launched in Taiwan in the 1980s as a summer refreshment. It is popular in many Asian countries including China, and has more recently gained popularity in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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