Americans and Europeans drinking less soda; sweets may increase risk for bowel cancer

Forbes reports that the consumption of sodas has dropped in the USA and Europe, but increased in Africa, Asia, and Latin America:

Coca-Cola Goes Flat In Q2 As Americans Drink Less Soda

Coca-Cola KO -2.63%, the beverage giant battling changing tastes at home in America and other developed markets, reported declining second-quarter profit and a drop in volume growth in several key markets…

Bad weather, poor economic conditions and a continuing shift away from sugary drinks combined to hurt Coke in both Europe and America. Overall, sales volume dropped 4% in Europe. And in America, volume decreased 1%, as soda volume declined 4%…

Coke is increasingly focusing its growth efforts on emerging markets…Coca-Cola volume expanded by 24% in Thailand, 18% in India and 15% in Nigeria. The necessity of growing in emerging markets isn’t unique to Coke–it’s a strategy that chief rival PepsiCo PEP -1.29% also uses. Such growth does trickle down to the bottom-line. As volume increased 9% in Eurasia and Africa, sales rose 5% and profit jumped 12%. In Latin American, with volume up 2%, sales and profit both increased by 6%. http://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2013/07/16/coca-cola-goes-flat-in-q2-as-americans-drink-less-soda/

The decrease in Europe and the USA is good news, while the increase in Africa, Asia, and Latin America is bad news. There are many health risks, including obesity and diabetes, associated with soda consumption (see also 80% of American ‘junk food’ banned? and Dangers of artificial sweeteners). Also, notice a BBC report about another risk of consuming sweets like sodas:

Sweet snacks ‘link to bowel cancer’

Fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits, crisps and desserts may increase the risk of bowel cancer, according to a new study.

Scientists looked at factors including diet, levels of physical activity and smoking in Scottish bowel cancer patients.

They reported links with some established risk factors of colorectal cancer – such as family history of cancer, physical activity and smoking.

They also identified new factors including high-energy snacks.

The study, which used data from the Scottish Colorectal Cancer Study, was said to be first of its kind to find a positive link between bowel cancer and a diet high in sugary and fatty foods…

The study, which was published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, was funded by the Medical Research Council, the Chief Scientist Office and Cancer Research UK.

Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK after lung cancer. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-23308455

The Bible warns about obesity, getting fat, excessive eating, as well eating things that are not really food:

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Sodas are basically made up of carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup (which is normally from genetically-modified corn), refined sugar, artificial flavorings, and/or artificial sweeteners. And products such as Coca-Cola tend to add caffeine.

As far as obesity goes, notice some of what Moses and Jeremiah wrote:

15 You grew fat, you grew thick,
You are obese!
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;
With abominations they provoked Him to anger. (Deuteronomy 32:15-16)

11 “Because you were glad, because you rejoiced,
You destroyers of My heritage,
Because you have grown fat like a heifer threshing grain,
And you bellow like bulls,
12 Your mother shall be deeply ashamed;
She who bore you shall be ashamed.
Behold, the least of the nations shall be a wilderness,
A dry land and a desert. (Jeremiah 50:11-12)

Many people do not often eat what is good. Many eat too many chemically-laced highly processed foods. Many eat a lot of white bread, which is really not real bread as it has had the wheat germ and other natural components removed. This makes an inferior product which then is sprayed with synthetic B vitamins and other “nutrients” to “fortify” it. If you notice “B vitamins” added to “fortify” refined grain products or in so-called “natural” vitamin supplements (like thiamin mononitrate, thiamin HCL, folic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cyanocobalamin), realize that these are basically petroleum derivatives and are not the same form of vitamins that are actually found in real, natural, food.

But most in Westernized areas consume the synthetics, chemicals, and refined grains.

People should try to eat real, not artificial, foods. Soda consumption should be almost non-existent, essentially a very rare treat. People should not drink sodas every day.

Some prophetic articles of possibly related interest may include:

GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Obesity and Prophecy Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned?
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Does God Heal Today? What does the Bible teach? Herbert Armstrong tries to explain this.
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and avoiding strange meats. Has modern science confirmed this?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?