Posted calorie count discourages drinking

Drinking sodas, anyway.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/15/teenagers-buy-fewer-sugary-drinks-with-posted-calorie-count/

My browser is being dumb and not letting me copy/paste the text of the article. The short version, is that posted signs, detailing the calorie count of a 20oz bottle of soda, decreases the chance of a teen buying it by 40% - but a sign saying they'd need to jog for 50 minutes to burn off the calories from the soda decreased the buying by 50%.*

So, would posted signs like these change your buying habits? Or is your love of Mountain Dew closer to an addiction, like mine? Do you think it will have more people turning to diet/zero/max*

versions of soda that are calorie free, but potentially unhealthy in other ways?

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw

I suspect that most people wouldn't/won't care- It may discourage people who are trying to lose a bit of weight or eat healthier, but people who already look probably won't be drinking regular coke.

As for "unhealthy in other ways"- Nearest I can tell, the whole concern about aspartame is just a myth like with vaccines- it's just one or two people yelling really loudly that it causes problems while everyone else says "Uh... no, that's wrong. There's no evidence that supports that."

EDIT: Also, Re: the workout stats- Depends on what they define jogging as. A quick Web MD Fit-O-Meter check has a 180 pound person burning 259 calories walking at 3.5mph (fairly brisk, about power-walking pace), so it's not too out there.

edited 19th Dec '11 3:06:15 AM by Wulf

They lost me. Forgot me. Made you from parts of me. If you're the One, my father's son, what am I supposed to be?

This is an interesting, if not unsurprising, event. I'd say that things like this should be encouraged, if only for the helpful nudge; in theory, it would get people onto the lower-calorie drink.

Some accuracy in the stats would be preferred, though. Don't want them being 'discredited'.

Personally, in the last couple of months I've made a small effort to pick calorie-free drink options. Not a huge effort, but I have gotten a bit of a gut on me now, and reducing my calorie intake is one step to ensure that it at least will not get any larger.

That said, ads like this aren't likely to change my buying habits, because if I'm getting a drink from a convenience store, it's almost always a fountain drink.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw

People don't notice their consumption being reduced due to advertising. Ads like this could be influencing someone and they'd say "it doesn't influence me, I still drink soda" but they get 3 sodas a week instead of six before the ads without really noticing it. Or they say "I want to lose weight and stopped on my own" but there's a spike in people who say that when the ads go up.

Sex, Drugs, and Rationality

I'll keep drinking soda, regardless of what people want to put on the label or on nearby signage.

Shit, I don't even listen to liquor ads' message of "enjoy responsibly".

Still, it's an interesting event, in any case.

edited 19th Dec '11 11:52:56 AM by MarkVonLewis

People generally don't like to feel as if they can be manipulated. The subconscious nudge is still present, however.

I think it's simply because, and I apologize if this sounds rude, that teenagers don't want to do that much work.

"Hipsters: the most dangerous gang in the US." - Pacific Mackerel

... and just like with vaccines, we can't be sure we can trust the current pharma-influenced medical sciences on this. Difference is, vaccines are a choice between "uncertain treatment and definitely-worse disease" while soda isn't really even necessary.

I used to be dismissive of the concerns about aspartame myself, but now I'm more inclined to remind myself that we don't really know for sure.

Now if the choice is between diet soda and regular soda, the "uncertain risk" is obviously better than the damage sugar would certainly do. But a better alternative still is to consume less soda altogether, and to normally opt for healthier beverages like tea.

edited 20th Dec '11 10:07:20 AM by HiddenFacedMatt

"The Daily Show has to be right 100% of the time; FOX News only has to be right once." - Jon Stewart

I honestly don't care about the calories. It's the caffeine and carbs (sugars, in particular) that I look at.

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Last time I checked, sodas aren't exactly brimming with protein and fat. All the calories in them are from sugar/HFCS*

, which are carbs. Most energy drinks, from my understanding, are the same way, though I'll ask someone the next time they're drinking a Red Bull or Monster how many grams of protein are in it.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw

Fair enough. I meant caffeine was the bigger problem I had with soda.

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