Growing Soda Habit Leads to Early Grave for Thousands of Americans, Study Finds

More insanity.

Six thousand deaths over the last decade could have been avoided if Americans drank less soda and sugary beverages, according to an analysis from the University of California, San Francisco.

First, let's assume that there really were 6000 people who died in 10 years from the soda and sugar scourge.

This calculates to 600 people per year or about 12 per week or just over 1.5 deaths daily.

How does that compare to the national data for the USA?

Deaths and Mortality
(Data are for the U.S.)

Number of deaths: 2,426,264

Number of deaths for leading causes of death:
Heart disease: 631,636
Cancer: 559,888
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 137,119
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,583
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 121,599
Diabetes: 72,449
Alzheimer's disease: 72,432
Influenza and Pneumonia: 56,326
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 45,344
Septicemia: 34,234

On a weekly basis, the above computes to:

Weekly Deaths and Mortality
(Data are for the U.S.)

Number of deaths: 46,659 (the dreaded sugary soda death causes 0.02 % of all weekly deaths)

Number of deaths for leading causes of death:
Heart disease: 12,147
Cancer: 10,767
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 2637
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 2396
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 2338
Diabetes: 1393
Alzheimer's disease: 1393
Influenza and Pneumonia: 1083
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 872
Septicemia: 658

The data above are from the CDC for the year 2006. This was not a leap year.

On a daily basis, here are the numbers for people who died from the leading causes of death. Soda and sugar according to the study resulted in just over 1.5 deaths per day:

Daily Deaths and Mortality
(Data are for the U.S.)

Number of deaths: 6647 (the dreaded sugary soda death causes 0.02 % of all daily deaths)

Number of deaths for leading causes of death:
Heart disease: 1731
Cancer: 1534
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 376
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 341
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 333
Diabetes: 198
Alzheimer's disease: 198
Influenza and Pneumonia: 154
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis:124
Septicemia: 94

Second, let's look at who dies this sweet death.

According to the article, here is what the apparent poster child/spokesperson for death by soda says:

Diana Ray of Danville, Ky., is familiar with the negative effects of soda addiction. Since she retired from her job as a registered nurse, Ray's consumption of soda steadily inched upward until she was drinking five to eight cans a day -- as much as an extra 1,200 extra calories and 328 grams of added sugar.

"I always have a Pepsi open on the table next to the bed, when I'm in bed in the morning with my coffee," Ray said. "It's an addiction."

An expensive addiction, Ray added, as the household goes through a 24-pack every other day, which adds up at $7 a pop.

But Ray's biggest motivation for quitting is rescuing her health and well-being: Since she switched from diet to regular soda she has put on 30 pounds, which is "horrifying" to her, especially because diabetes runs in her family.

Clearly it is proper to assume that this "registered nurse"/idiot, whose body changes were "'horrifying' to her" after switching from sugar-free to sugary soda but was not horrified enough to switch back is representative of this group.

I mean, why would ABCNews, the MSM network that brings you AdipOprah Winfrey, David Katz, Jorge Cruise, Mehmet Oz (also spreading his IMHO pollution on other networks), choose someone who is not representative when they are reporting the "NEWS"?

It seems fair to assume that there is no place for an agenda in reporting the news, so it is fair to assume that there is no editorializing or bias to the story and that the fat nurse is representative.

Third, what is the proposed fix for a problem that affects, on an annual basis 0.00019% of the population? (in July 2008 there were 304,059,724 people in the USA)

To encourage Americans to spend their calories elsewhere -- hopefully on more healthful indulgences -- many policymakers support the use of a "soda tax" on all beverages with sugar added, including sodas, sweetened ice teas and chocolate milk.

Punish everybody.

And who, among others, is supporting this?

In his research on the subject, Dr. Kelly Brownell, the director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, said he "propose[s] a one-cent-per-ounce tax...

This is Kelly Brownell, the FAT, anti-junk food crusader:

So, let's review:

• A statistically insignificant problem as described in the research study
• That affects people too stupid to stop when they are "horrified" by what they have done to themselves
• Is impetus for punishing everybody
• By increasing taxes on a product that many can apparently use safely and
• The advocates for the punishment are led by a person who apparently has education, a good income and claims to know how to end this overweight/obesity problem
• But is a fatso

Makes sense.

Role model drinking Nurse Diana Ray's beverage of choice: