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Not to mention it can cause diabetes and it's horrible for your teeth. For me, it also caused acne. Soda's really, really bad for you, and I think at this point

by nilkn 12y ago

Not to mention it can cause diabetes and it's horrible for your teeth. For me, it also caused acne. Soda's really, really bad for you, and I think at this point it would be viewed the same way that smoking is viewed if it weren't for the fact that soda affects only the consumer whereas cigarettes produce second-hand smoke and a suffocating odor that fills the room. Maybe 2050's Mad Men will shock its viewers with how office workers in 2000 drank soda in the office. (This is coming from someone who used to drink soda on a daily basis. I learned to stop when I had to get a crown on a molar in my early 20s.)

TheSoftwareGuy 12y ago
>I think at this point it would be viewed the same way that smoking is viewed if it weren't for the fact that soda affects only the consumer whereas cigarettes produce second-hand smoke and a suffocating odor that fills the room. And the addiction, don't forget that horrible, crippling addiction.
- billmalarky 12y ago
  Soda has addictive properties. Caffeine being one but I would argue there's carb/sugar addiction potential in there too (look up carb withdrawal). Now I'm NOT saying it's even close to being as addictive as nicotine, but you get my point.
  - ams6110 12y ago
    Any substance that produces a rush of good feelings will cause cravings or "withdrawal" to one degree or another when you stop consuming it. Based on observations I would say that for some people, sugar/soda is as addictive as nicotine or maybe more so.
  - blisterpeanuts 12y ago
    Probably we're programmed to love sweet stuff, because of the symbiotic relationship between plants and seed eaters. We eat the fruit and spread the seeds. Unfortunately, sugary drinks trigger the instinct but have no beneficial effects, and they lack the phytonutrients of fruit and honey. We should just never drink or eat anything that is sweetened with either sugar or non-sugar alternatives. Easy to say and hard to do, though; I love sweet coffee, cake, and ice cream.
- mark-r 12y ago
  Caffeine addiction is a thing, too.
- scrabble 12y ago
  This might be dependent on the person as well. I know that when I stopped drinking soda 2 years ago, I got cravings for about 9 months afterwards. When I quit smoking 6 years ago, I did not have any cravings. I realize that this is anecdotal and goes against the experience of most people.
rsl7 12y ago
I had a serious dental incident about 20 years ago due to both massive soda/sugar intake and not taking care of my teeth. I bit into a candybar and almost passed out due to the pain. Trip to the dentist: 12 cavities which I got filled in three long and painful visits. Eating candy was actually pretty unusual for me already, but I never drank soda again... or those damn Lance crackers I ate all the time.
- orbitur 12y ago
  I don't like anecdotes like this because it is so reliant on genetics alongside maintenance. I'm in my 30s now, and I've never had a cavity despite awful habits from childhood to my mid-20s. While I drink much less soda pop now, I still have too much. My wife on the other hand, seems to get cavities the moment her teeth touch a Skittle, even though she had better parents and better habits in adulthood. Some of us are lucky, some of us aren't. But taking care of your teeth can't hurt, and can only extend the time you have with them.
  - nilkn 12y ago
    It's an anecdote, and the details rely on genetics, but it's hard science that tons of sugar sticking to your teeth all day is very bad for them. Some people might be much more resistant to cavities and decay, but that doesn't change the fundamentals of the risk and the fact that most people aren't so lucky. Also, for what it's worth, cavities don't always present with obvious symptoms like pain. Well, they are obvious, but often only to dentists/trained professionals, and x-rays may sometimes be necessary to be totally sure.
  - rsl7 12y ago
    Well in these last 20 years I have had two cavities and a crown. It's pretty clear that a) I just didn't take care of my teeth and b) drank a ton of soda and ate too much junk food (though my junk food was mostly pretzels and crackers). I take good care of them now and haven't had that junk since.
- blisterpeanuts 12y ago
  Wow, rsl7, you gave your dentist a new yacht! Tough break there. Fortunately, research is proceeding on modeling new teeth from stem cells that eventually may help us all have natural, whole teeth again. They'll probably still do fillings for the small stuff, though.

by nilkn 12y ago

TheSoftwareGuy 12y ago

>I think at this point it would be viewed the same way that smoking is viewed if it weren't for the fact that soda affects only the consumer whereas cigarettes produce second-hand smoke and a suffocating odor that fills the room. And the addiction, don't forget that horrible, crippling addiction.

billmalarky 12y ago
Soda has addictive properties. Caffeine being one but I would argue there's carb/sugar addiction potential in there too (look up carb withdrawal). Now I'm NOT saying it's even close to being as addictive as nicotine, but you get my point.
- ams6110 12y ago
  Any substance that produces a rush of good feelings will cause cravings or "withdrawal" to one degree or another when you stop consuming it. Based on observations I would say that for some people, sugar/soda is as addictive as nicotine or maybe more so.
- blisterpeanuts 12y ago
  Probably we're programmed to love sweet stuff, because of the symbiotic relationship between plants and seed eaters. We eat the fruit and spread the seeds. Unfortunately, sugary drinks trigger the instinct but have no beneficial effects, and they lack the phytonutrients of fruit and honey. We should just never drink or eat anything that is sweetened with either sugar or non-sugar alternatives. Easy to say and hard to do, though; I love sweet coffee, cake, and ice cream.
mark-r 12y ago
Caffeine addiction is a thing, too.
scrabble 12y ago
This might be dependent on the person as well. I know that when I stopped drinking soda 2 years ago, I got cravings for about 9 months afterwards. When I quit smoking 6 years ago, I did not have any cravings. I realize that this is anecdotal and goes against the experience of most people.

rsl7 12y ago

I had a serious dental incident about 20 years ago due to both massive soda/sugar intake and not taking care of my teeth. I bit into a candybar and almost passed out due to the pain. Trip to the dentist: 12 cavities which I got filled in three long and painful visits. Eating candy was actually pretty unusual for me already, but I never drank soda again... or those damn Lance crackers I ate all the time.

orbitur 12y ago
I don't like anecdotes like this because it is so reliant on genetics alongside maintenance. I'm in my 30s now, and I've never had a cavity despite awful habits from childhood to my mid-20s. While I drink much less soda pop now, I still have too much. My wife on the other hand, seems to get cavities the moment her teeth touch a Skittle, even though she had better parents and better habits in adulthood. Some of us are lucky, some of us aren't. But taking care of your teeth can't hurt, and can only extend the time you have with them.
- nilkn 12y ago
  It's an anecdote, and the details rely on genetics, but it's hard science that tons of sugar sticking to your teeth all day is very bad for them. Some people might be much more resistant to cavities and decay, but that doesn't change the fundamentals of the risk and the fact that most people aren't so lucky. Also, for what it's worth, cavities don't always present with obvious symptoms like pain. Well, they are obvious, but often only to dentists/trained professionals, and x-rays may sometimes be necessary to be totally sure.
- rsl7 12y ago
  Well in these last 20 years I have had two cavities and a crown. It's pretty clear that a) I just didn't take care of my teeth and b) drank a ton of soda and ate too much junk food (though my junk food was mostly pretzels and crackers). I take good care of them now and haven't had that junk since.
blisterpeanuts 12y ago
Wow, rsl7, you gave your dentist a new yacht! Tough break there. Fortunately, research is proceeding on modeling new teeth from stem cells that eventually may help us all have natural, whole teeth again. They'll probably still do fillings for the small stuff, though.