Head winds for Coke, page-13

Think about how much life has changed in 30 years. How much our lifestyles have changed in 30 years. How much more pervasive technology is now than 30 years ago. Think about how much more developed and wealthy our country has become.  How does that increase in wealth alter our diets in general. Would you say that people are more or less sedentary now or in 30 years ago. The fact is there have been so many changes to so many things that it is nearly impossible to attribute a trend like that to sugary drinks.

Really think about it for a few minutes. What you're saying is really just mentally lazy and a cognitive bias called attribute substitution. It is far easier and quicker to cognitively join-the-dots on cause an affect quickly by disporportionately blaming something like sugar than to consider all other possible reasons. Even if these reasons are more influential factors that would have led to this increase.

But where the whole thing falls apart is that in the last 4 years period from 2007/08 to 2011/12 the level of diabetes in Australia increased by 0.1%. The original comment was made about there being a diabetes epidemic and how everyone has forgotten that we are in the midst of this. My point was that an increase of 0.1% is not an epidemic...more like a statistical discrepancy and the  original statement belongs as a clickbait headline in our alarmist hyperbolic media.

In any case, it is not the sugar that is the culprit in causing diabetes. Your risk of developing diabetes increases with weight gain. So if you drinks lots of coke and sit on hotcopper all day and don't do any exercise then yes your risk increases. But a person who does this probably isn't capable of achieving a sensible balance in the rest of their life and so probably have bad habits elsewhere which collectively cause the problem. Anyway check out this article with a nutritionist to get some more info

http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2011/03/29/3176597.htm

I wonder if on the forum pages for alcohol listed stocks there is the same level of concern for national health? Alcohol by far an away is a more costly and damaging beverage for the nation. Or Dominoes? That is a high calorie food that is likely to help you pack on a few pounds round your waist.