Sugar Consumption Report

A World of Sour Patch Kids and Mtn Dew

April 25, 2023

Craig Olson shared a survey on sugar consumption within the Providence Church Young Adult community in November 2022. The aim of the survey was to gather data on a potential increase in sugar consumption, specifically in the form of Sour Patch Kids and Mtn Dew, as individuals have joined the group. The survey consisted of ten multiple choice questions. Responses were anonymous and eleven total responses were submitted. The survey is available here.

This report provides an analysis of the results by drawing conclusions from the aggregate data.

Sour Patch Kids Consumption

The first four survey questions evaluated Sour Patch Kids consumption. Participants were asked the following questions, and the number of responses per answer are given.

Question #1: Since joining the Providence young adult community, my consumption of Sour Patch Kids has:

Question #2: Before joining the Providence young adult community, I consumed Sour Patch Kids:

Question #3: Since joining the Providence young adult community, I consume Sour Patch Kids:

Question #4: I am more likely to purchase Sour Patch Kids since joining the Providence young adult community than before:

To summarize these responses, 91% of reporters claimed that their Sour Patch Kids consumption had increased slightly or significantly since joining the young adult community. Only a single response claimed that their intake remained the same, and no one claimed that their Sour Patch Kids consumption had decreased. This pulse check echoes the responses on the frequency-based questions. 9% of responders answered that they had Sour Patch Kids at least once a month prior to joining the community, and over half of responders stated that they either never ate them or, would only eat them once a year. However, this flipped where 55% of responses stated that they ate Sour Patch Kids at least a couple times a month after joining the group. Only a single response stated that they ate Sour Patch Kids once a year or less currently. Over half of the responses said that they are more likely to purchase Sour Patch Kids now.

Mtn Dew Consumption

The next four survey questions explored Mtn Dew consumption. Participants were asked the following questions, and the number of responses per answer are given.

Question #5: Since joining the Providence young adult community, my consumption of Mtn Dew has:

Question #6: Before joining the Providence young adult community, I consumed Mtn Dew:

Question #7: Since joining the Providence young adult community, I consume Mtn Dew:

Question #8: I am more likely to purchase Mtn Dew since joining the Providence young adult community than before:

The Mtn Dew consumption results were similar to Sour Patch Kids, but slightly less significant. For example, 4/11 responses stated that they believed their consumption remained the same. This was 27% more people than the same question and answer for Sour Patch Kids. The answers to the "before" and "after" frequency questions aligned fairly closely with this perception. 55% reported that prior to joining the group, they either never drank Mtn Dew or only once a year. This category group dropped to 18% of responders when asked about Mtn Dew consumption since joining the group. Interestingly, 7/11 of those surveyed stated that they now drink Mtn Dew at least once a month. This group was originally just two responders. Also, there is a single person who drinks Mtn Dew daily, and no anonymous form can hide Jason Ahl there. One last point is that 4/11 participants disagreed that they are more likely to purchase Mtn Dew now. Compare this to 2/11 who fell into that group regarding Sour Patch and you can infer that more people enjoy Sour Patch Kids than Mtn Dew.

Conclusion

The survey concluded with two questions regarding overall sugar consumption and root cause analysis.

Question #9: I consume more sugary sweets after joining the Providence young adult community than before.

We see from these responses that 5/11 individuals believe that their sugar intake has increased since joining the community. The positive news is this group of responders is less than 50% of total responders, so it could be worse.

Question #10: I hold Craig personally responsible for introducing more sugary sweets in my life.

These results communicate that 46% of those surveyed blame Craig in some format. At this moment, the author would like to point out that if it wasn't Sour Patch Kids and Mtn Dew at hangouts, then it would likely be some other sugary beverage and snack. The author would also like to point out that Craig is not forcing the Sour Patch Kids or Mtn Dew onto anyone, and they all have the free will to decline. If anything, the partakers should be thanking Craig for providing opportunities to grow in self-control.

In conclusion, this "silly" survey verifies an underappreciated and often under-estimated aspect of social dynamics in group settings. Prior to joining the young adult community, many people rarely interacted with Sour Patch Kids and Mtn Dew. However, both these treats were frequently at hangouts and were easily accessible. Over time, the people who never consumed these products began to regularly consume them. The people who never considered buying these products started to buy them. Consider all the other habitual components of your common group social settings. The common, readily accessible elements and behaviors will be adopted and shared by the group over time. This can have deeper impacts when you consider if your faith is a common theme in your social settings. Do you frequently talk about God and God's Word? Do you often pray with those around you? Is your behavior and speech edifying to others and glorifying God? Are you serving one another? If the regular presence of sugary treats at sugary sweets can permeate into the lives of those around you, the regular presence of God in your words, thoughts, and deeds should do the same.

Maybe all this time the Sour Patch Kids and Mtn Dew have actually just been a metaphor for the ultimate sweet news that should always be in our mouths: the Gospel.

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