4 ms·

You're correct. It could actually be having an effect and I could just not be noticing it because there are many other variables in play. I suppose my comment

You're correct. It could actually be having an effect and I could just not be noticing it because there are many other variables in play. I suppose my comment was inspired by seeing posts about soda and weight gain and seeing comments of anecdotal evidence for people who have cut out diet soda and notice their weight dropping significantly. I merely wanted to provide an anecdotal data point (however useless scientifically it may be) to try and give a perspective from the other side of things.

bmh100 9y ago
Anecdotes are stories, not data points. 100 stories don't become 100 data points.
- axlprose 9y ago
  ok, but nobody was arguing that they are data points? The parent was literally saying that he wanted to convey a different story to the ones commonly heard, in order to give a more balanced picture. Nowhere does that suggest anything about data points, just people sharing stories with different view points. It's good to have a reminder that "anecdata" != real data every now and then, but in cases where you have a poster clearly acknowledging all that, bringing this up seems like little more than an out of place trope.
peterwwillis 9y ago
You can eat bacon, drink whiskey, and smoke every day of your life, and live past 90. You might also die by 55. Roll them dice...
- seanp2k2 9y ago
  It's also possible to run marathons, do spinning + yoga classes, eat only raw vegan foods, and die in a car crash. I personally aim for a balance which prioritizes personal enjoyment over absolute longevity-seeking. I don't want to live to be >120, but I also really don't want to spend the 2nd 50% of my life unable to participate in relatively demanding physical activities, like kiteboarding / surfing / mountain biking / >10 mile hikes. I like coffee and tea, and I stay away from soda (diet or otherwise), almost anything with artificial sweeteners, fast food, potato chips, burgers, most things sold at 7-11, more than 2 drinks in a night, etc.

bmh100 9y ago

Anecdotes are stories, not data points. 100 stories don't become 100 data points.

axlprose 9y ago
ok, but nobody was arguing that they are data points? The parent was literally saying that he wanted to convey a different story to the ones commonly heard, in order to give a more balanced picture. Nowhere does that suggest anything about data points, just people sharing stories with different view points. It's good to have a reminder that "anecdata" != real data every now and then, but in cases where you have a poster clearly acknowledging all that, bringing this up seems like little more than an out of place trope.

peterwwillis 9y ago

You can eat bacon, drink whiskey, and smoke every day of your life, and live past 90. You might also die by 55. Roll them dice...

seanp2k2 9y ago
It's also possible to run marathons, do spinning + yoga classes, eat only raw vegan foods, and die in a car crash. I personally aim for a balance which prioritizes personal enjoyment over absolute longevity-seeking. I don't want to live to be >120, but I also really don't want to spend the 2nd 50% of my life unable to participate in relatively demanding physical activities, like kiteboarding / surfing / mountain biking / >10 mile hikes. I like coffee and tea, and I stay away from soda (diet or otherwise), almost anything with artificial sweeteners, fast food, potato chips, burgers, most things sold at 7-11, more than 2 drinks in a night, etc.