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This argument does not fly IMO for sugary drinks, for two reasons: First, there are healthier alternatives. Sugar-free sodas are probably not ideal but they ca
by himinlomax 6y ago
This argument does not fly IMO for sugary drinks, for two reasons:
First, there are healthier alternatives. Sugar-free sodas are probably not ideal but they can't be worse than sugary drinks.
Second, while sugar may be addictive, it is not that addictive. Some people would murder to fuel an heroin addiction, but no sugar addict would walk a mile to get their fix instead of drinking water. And if they did the exercise would burn some of the calories :)
- thomasfedb 6y ago> Sugar-free sodas are probably not ideal but they can't be worse than sugary drinks. They are very much, comprehensively, most certainly, for sure far better than sugary drinks. Aspartame is safe. The acidity remains an issue for dentition. But the sugar is the real killer.
- bzb3 6y agoIs aspartame really that safe? I thought it altered the intestinal bacteria?
- chefkoch 6y agoDoesn't all nutrition change alter the gut microme somehow?
- thomasfedb 6y agoIt is probably the most tested food additive that exists. Anything you eat will modify your microbiome.
- agurk 6y agoWhen I was a teenager I had a lot more sugar in my diet, and I'd get strong cravings when doing extended physical activity. One time when I was backpack camping I walked from our camp for a couple of kilometres (so over a mile) to a village just to get a couple of cans of soda. This was on top of the 15kms I'd already walked that day. Not to say this is in any way comparable to a heroin addiction, but sugar urges can be strong and compelling.
- briefcomment 6y agoProbably not for no good reason though.
- Fricken 6y agoIf you're physically active sugar isn't that bad for you. Your muscles are hungry and the quickly digested sugars entering your bloodstream have somewhere useful to go. Eating sugar and other processed, simple carbohydrates such as french fries, chips, and soda while sedentary is a great way to become obese and diabetic.
- bluedino 6y ago>> Sugar-free sodas are probably not ideal but they can't be worse than sugary drinks. At least in Chicago, they included diet drinks in their tax.
- Icathian 6y agoThis was my huge complaint with it. Leaving aside for a moment the morality of vice taxes, raking zero calorie soda into the policy makes it very obviously just a cash grab.
- ardy42 6y ago> raking zero calorie soda into the policy makes it very obviously just a cash grab. Not necessarily. Maybe the goal was to discourage people from the habit of drinking sweetened drinks in general, instead of just encouraging them to drink Diet Coke instead. It would probably be better for everyone except the drink manufactures if everyone just switched to plain water.
- fenwick67 6y agoThis is like when the food vendor at my old work raised the prices on soda. They claimed it was a health initiative, but they also increased the prices on diet soda and even bottled water.
- dempedempe 6y ago> no sugar addict would walk a mile to get their fix I don't think you have experience with a sugar addiction. I've done this more times than I can count and hate myself for it every time.
- pletsch 6y agoI dealt with this for a while too. My solution was coffee (double double) so kept the sugar, but slowly went to black. I won't even go into a convenience store when I pump gas anymore, the cravings have stayed and its a battle everyday.
- dempedempe 6y agoThanks for the tips!
- zajio1am 6y ago> Sugar-free sodas are probably not ideal but they can't be worse than sugary drinks. Well, that is not clear: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321244 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321244 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471792/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471792/