Comments on: Diet Sodas Linked to Obesity

By: The Q Speaks

The Q Speaks — Sun, 19 Jun 2005 06:16:14 +0000

Why you should read real newspapers

Don't newspaper reporters and medical researchers know that correlation does not equal causation?

By: The Q Speaks

The Q Speaks — Sun, 19 Jun 2005 05:47:22 +0000

Why you should real newspapers

Don't newspaper reporters and medical researchers know that correlation does not equal causation?

By: Kevin Murphy

Kevin Murphy — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 14:23:18 +0000

I used to joke I stopped drinking diet sodas when I noticed only fat people drank them. Now it's apparently been scientifically proven that fat people would like to lose weight. That ought to be worth a Nobel.

By: crzydjm.blog-city.com

crzydjm.blog-city.com — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:29:07 +0000

the one about.....the diet sodas

Sooooo.....Head over to "Outside the Beltway" and read this article about diet sodas causing weight gain....That's kinda scary!

By: schar

schar — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 05:09:13 +0000

It is very difficult to be obese in this culture because we are so obvious! We are a target for pity cloaked in a medical study which purports to want us to live longer. I suspect it is just easier to feel superior to us because we are so noticible. It's cussed tough to I.D. criminals, dope dealers, sexual deviants, pedophiles or Enron white collar thiefs, all of whom are real threats to society, but just see a fat person, and he is fodder for gratuitous remarks, patronizing comments,.and silly studies masked as good science.

By: Simon World

Simon World — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 03:29:59 +0000

Daily linklets 15th June

China and the Vatican are rapidly moving towards mutual recognition, and Hong Kong's Bishop Zen says Taiwan's Catholics have nothing to worry about. It will be interesting to see exactly what kind of compromises are made by both sides. The double li...

By: Robin Roberts

Robin Roberts — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:58:38 +0000

This is how researchers get their name in the news.

By: VRWC On Crack

VRWC On Crack — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:18:06 +0000

Fat People Heart Diet Soda The fact is that fat people like Diet Coke. I don't know why that is, but anyone who has waited tables in the "right kind" of restaurant (a Cracker Barrel, for example) can back me up on this.

By: Anon

Anon — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:13:22 +0000

I think that without knowing more, it's hard to tell whether or not the criticisms are fair. First, it's clear that the authors are not claiming causation. From a different article:

"I want to be very clear," said the study's lead author, Sharon Fowler, an associate faculty member at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, "Our findings do not prove that diet soft drinks cause people to gain weight.

Also, I think it's very easy for the media to miss the careful nuances of scientific reasoning. For example, it's possible that Fowler said something like:

"We also tracked consumption of low-fat snack foods, and found that there was no correlation there. So why would diet soda be correlated, but not low-fat snack foods? I was baffled."

The media misses the point that she was not baffled that diet soda and obesity are correlated, but that low-fat snack foods and obesity are not correlated. Lastly, some Googling seems to indicate that the San Antonio Heart Study is really much more than just tracking diet soda. So it's possible that the diet soda consumption was being studied for more significant reasons, and that this was just a minor result.

By: Van Helsing

Van Helsing — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:01:31 +0000

The lack of simple logic in some of these studies really is appalling. Are they trying to make some kind of case for regulating diet soda, or are they just not very bright?

By: Just Me

Just Me — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:00:38 +0000

I would also be willing to bet that the more they consume their diet soda, the less water they drink.

Caffein is not good for the body-even if it is being consumed in a sugarless drink.

I also agree that by in large overweight people probably consume larger amounts of almost any kind of food than thin people do (granted there will be some exceptions).

By: DaveD

DaveD — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 23:41:46 +0000

I guess I am trying to cut these folks a break for now, but I would be willing to bet that these findings are not the major focus of the so called San Antonio Heart Study. I find these strictly correlative studies (that is without establishing causation) really weak also. But with computers being able to handle incredible amounts of data and, hence, the ability to mine data for associations not readily apparent to our unaided intellectual capacity and sometimes biased minds I expect these types of correlations found within scientific data are going to become more prevalent. I mean that correlations will be uncovered that were not anticipated in the original study design or hypothesis. These data were presented at a scientific meeting and not in a peer-reviewed journal. In many cases these meeting presentations may be preliminary data and not the final word. I think we have to wait and see how far or if ever these data get through the peer review process. Of course, the press picks up on these kind of things all the time and some cub reporter gets a byline - you have to start your career somewhere I guess. Just some comments having been in close proximity to researchers for a while.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 23:20:42 +0000

On a related note, scientists have discovered that working as a research scientist may be linked to an increase in faulty reasoning. However, researchers are quick to point out that they may have reasoned fallacially prior to becoming a research scientist.

By: Wizbang

Wizbang — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 22:46:29 +0000

The 10 Spot - Headline Edition

Ten headlines that you can't help but click though to read more.Porn star Mary Carey's dinner with President Bush - [The Jawa Report] Guantanamo Shut Down. Prisoners Moved to Neverland - [American Digest] SMASH vs. The Downing Street Memo -...

By: Jim Rhoads

Jim Rhoads — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 22:43:51 +0000

"Linked" is a loaded word that implies causation, isn't it? But it is one that is used to highlight "studies" such as these. I wonder why the study was done, and what the "official conclusions" were. I suspect a more accurate headline would be, "Obese are primary consumers of diet sodas". But that headline would be likely to elicit a throughly earned "duh".