health

Teen violence linked to heavy soda diet: study

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© 2011 AFP

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There have been many studies like this which issue pronouncements but do not realize they didn't take all factors into account. One such factor is Subliminal Distraction exposure. SD, a normal feature in everyone's physiology of sight, was discovered as a problem when it caused mental breaks for office workers. The cubicle was invented to stop the problem by 1968. With the advent of computers and other view screen devices the problem can be created in homes and student dorms. The family size plus how and where the home computer is used would be a factor.

The Virginia Tech, Redlake tribal school, Jokela, Finland school, and Atlanta Day Trader killers all created this problem. The Finnish National Police actually released a photo of Peka-Eric Auvinen's bedroom computer placed beside a closet door mirror so that Auvinen would detect his own movement as a reflection in peripheral vision to cause Subliminal Distraction exposure (repeating subliminal failed attempts to execute the vision startle reflex). Auvinen executed eight before committing suicide in Jokela Finland.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Linked, yes, but correlation does not equal causation.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It says non-diet. I doubt. In the US and Japan (just copying everything off), diet and calorie-off drinks are mainstream.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The article talks about "sugary fizz" and mentions another study into very high sugar consumption. US fizzy drinks contain high fructose corn syrup (glucose / fructose), not sugar (sucrose). It should be made clear what types of sugar we are talking about.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Not nearly a clear enough test. These guys also need to do tests outside of 'inner city' areas. What about all the soda guzzling teens that just sit around and play computer games or use it to fuel their study time? Are they also 9-15% more likely to begin exhibiting violent behaviors?

Or is it, perhaps, possible that it just happens to be a coincindence that teens drinking tons of soda in 'inner city' areas are more violent? It could just as likely be that those kids are also from lower economic families or have parents who just aren't invovled in their lives, or something else that correlates to WHY they are drinking so much soda every week.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Correlation could also be reverse. I.e. Violent people crave more sugary drinks.

They article also mentions a similar link to tobacco and alcohol in previous studies. Could it be the case that violent people are violent because the don't feel mentally well, and often tries to self medicate by consuming sugary food or drinks, tobacco and alcohol?

I can think of many other reverse causation mechanisms such as this one.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Ugh, you have to love how people use and abuse statistics to try to prove a point. As has been stated above correlation doesn't equal causation. I would bet any of the "bad kid behaviors" - eating junk food, smoking, swearing, whatever - correlate to violent behavior. But it's all from lurking factors that are rather obvious IMO like economic hardship, lack of parental guidance, etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

DO THE DEW!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

the argument about the validity of the science is largely irrelevant - look at the bigger picture - no one should be drinking soda full stop. Insidious nasty crap that is heavily driving the the obesity epidemic. Cutting out soda is the single easiest and the perhaps the most beneficial thing you can do for your health, whether it makes teens more inclined to be violent or not.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

As far as I can tell, no one has made any conclusions about the study, only that there is a correlation. The reasons or causes are still unknown. It appears as though the researchers themselves were surprised at the findings as well.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"but also violence in dating relationships, against siblings”

I really, really hope that that was just a typo or misquote. I hope there are not a lot of kids out there dating their siblings. :(

I also found the statistics really disturbing in general, whether the kids had consumed soda or not. 35% of them had been violent towards peers? That is really, really scary. I've never, ever been violent towards someone, and can only think of two times in my life when someone was violent towards me, and in both cases they were as an adult (in the train, and ironically both in 2011). That sounds like a really, really scary school/schools.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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