The Decline of ‘Big Soda’ • Hacker News Board

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#51

Post by Strom » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 5:54 PM UTC

lemevi wrote: post #5

Just take some time next time you're in a supermarket and walk down the cereal aisle, it's just incredible. It's all sugar and carbohydrates in colorful cartoony boxes meant to appeal to children. Just a cup of cereal has many calories and people and children eat huge bowls of this stuff. So I think an anti-cereal campaign might also help. I often wonder what would happen to national obesity rates if cereal aisles in…

These colorful sugar-cereals have completely overtaken the cereal market in Estonia. In fact, my neighbourhood supermarkets no longer sell any major brand whole grain cereal at all. They used to, but the number of options kept decreasing, until it reached zero a few years ago. Now I either have to buy generic components and mix the cereal myself, or eat something else.

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#52

Post by PopeOfNope » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 5:55 PM UTC

andyfleming wrote: post #17

littletimmy wrote: post #10

What we really need is a limit on advertising. Corporations manufacturing packaged sugar like coke, cereal etc. should not be able to manipulate young children to get them addicted to their crap. Sell this stuff in plain white boxes, ban advertising to young children, and in general, limit the free speech of soulless legal fictions when they target children.

What we really need is education. Children and adults alike should better understand nutrition and what they are putting in their bodies. It's no secret that soda and so many other drinks are packed with sugar, but no one seems to care or understand.

What we really need is fewer people speculating about what other people need. Follow in the footsteps of your forefathers[0] and mind your own damned business.

[0]: http://rivergrandrapids.com/the-first-official-us-coin-said-...

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#53

Post by neverartful » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 5:55 PM UTC

Like many of the posters here, I realize that much of the food and drink sold is unhealthy. On the other hand, I don't think that nanny state regulations are the answer. Plenty of unhealthy things abound (when overused): chips, candy, pizza, fast food, cookies, ice cream, video games, television, etc. Maybe some of the same marketing tactics used to sell the unhealthy things can also be used to counter them with healthier alternatives.

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#54

Post by wmil » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 5:56 PM UTC

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #4

I would like to see a decline of "Big water". It astonishes me that bottled water is consistently sold for more than sugar water and not one bottler breaks from the pack and sells it for less. That can only happen with industry wide collusion to fix prices and yet no one in the government does anything about it.

All of the major bottled water brands are owned by companies that also make sugar beverages, so there's no reason for them to sell it for less.

Also there's probably not a big price difference on their end. Bottled water is usually purified then remineralized to get a consistent product.

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#55

Post by duckmysick » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 5:57 PM UTC

yincrash wrote: post #14

littletimmy wrote: post #10

What we really need is a limit on advertising. Corporations manufacturing packaged sugar like coke, cereal etc. should not be able to manipulate young children to get them addicted to their crap. Sell this stuff in plain white boxes, ban advertising to young children, and in general, limit the free speech of soulless legal fictions when they target children.

where do you draw the line? should all food be sold in white boxes with plain lettering?

Why not? In fact, why not go even further and enforce that all websites have only a black serif (or monospace) font on a white background? No more screaming colors, moving parts, confusing adverts - just plain content.

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#56

Post by douche » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 6:00 PM UTC

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #4

I would like to see a decline of "Big water". It astonishes me that bottled water is consistently sold for more than sugar water and not one bottler breaks from the pack and sells it for less. That can only happen with industry wide collusion to fix prices and yet no one in the government does anything about it.

What I love is that the gallon jug costs the same, or less, than the 12 oz bottle. The cost is all in the packaging.

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#57

Post by caseysoftware » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 6:01 PM UTC

klenwell wrote: post #25

When Mr. Nutter was fighting the soda tax battle, he kept a bottle of Mountain Dew and a container with 17 teaspoons of sugar — the amount in the bottle — on the table in the center of his office. It was a good “conversation piece,” he said, about the surprising number of calories in a typical soda. I think this is key. Better information and transparency is having an effect. I'm glad to hear we're approaching a poin…

That's why we haven't had anyone start smoking in decades..

Soda sales are down but obesity is still up, so the calories are coming from somewhere. If you believe the other common stories, we're drinking the calories.

I'd wager they come from the rise of coffee-based beverages - which would not be considered soda - but I don't have data to back that up.

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#58

Post by foobarian » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 6:03 PM UTC

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #4

I would like to see a decline of "Big water". It astonishes me that bottled water is consistently sold for more than sugar water and not one bottler breaks from the pack and sells it for less. That can only happen with industry wide collusion to fix prices and yet no one in the government does anything about it.

Read "Evian" backwards and you have all you need to know about the bottled water industry.

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#59

Post by lfjmfkekdk » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 6:06 PM UTC

lawn wrote: post #39

lfjmfkekdk wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a large bowl of cereal every morning. Yes, I eat those kids' sugary cereals. My BMI is below 20.

Be careful of assigning too much importance on BMI or weight in general. Eating a lot of sugar increases the risk for diabetes even if you're skinny.

There is no conclusive proof that eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/24/five-diabetes-myths...

Re: The Decline of ‘Big Soda’

#60

Post by _delirium » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 6:06 PM UTC

caseysoftware wrote: post #57

klenwell wrote: post #25

When Mr. Nutter was fighting the soda tax battle, he kept a bottle of Mountain Dew and a container with 17 teaspoons of sugar — the amount in the bottle — on the table in the center of his office. It was a good “conversation piece,” he said, about the surprising number of calories in a typical soda. I think this is key. Better information and transparency is having an effect. I'm glad to hear we're approaching a poin…

That's why we haven't had anyone start smoking in decades.. Soda sales are down but obesity is still up, so the calories are coming from somewhere. If you believe the other common stories, we're drinking the calories. I'd wager they come from the rise of coffee-based beverages - which would not be considered soda - but I don't have data to back that up.

For now I think Starbucks et al are benefiting from being culturally identified as more upper/middle-class. Obesity stereotypes seem to have fixated mostly on a "people of Walmart" type image of the fat, slobbish lower classes. So even though a 12-oz Starbucks caramel latte is far worse than a 12-oz Coke, it gets a pass.