Being obsessive/compulsive may be cause for inpatient treatment, but blame the disorder, not the object of fixation.

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Caffeine is addictive. Her chosen variety of caffeine comes with lots of nasty sugar that probably contributes to her underlying health problems.

As someone who experiences first-hand the addictive properties of caffeine in Coca-Cola, I hope that she gets help. I can't allow myself to drink more than one Coke every few weeks, or I will have to have one every day, then two every day, and so on. It gives me an emotional high that, when withheld, turns into a nasty tantrum. If I allowed that addiction to continue for twenty years, I'd probably have diabetes, too.

I'm doing my best to stave off my addiction with lightly sweetened teas.

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Take it from a long-time diabetic: Consuming sugar does not cause diabetes. There is a gene for diabetes. Having it does not necessarily mean you will get diabetes but you can't and won't get it if you do not have the gene.

That said, If you have the gene for diabetes and have not been diagnosed with diabetes, consuming excessive calories and overall carbohydrate diets can trigger type 2 diabetes. It can also be triggered by exposure to certain chemicals such as dioxin.

All my medical team have assured me that drinking sugary sodas or eating sugary foods in itself is not sufficient to trigger the onset of diabetes. However, if you have anyone up your family tree who has diabetes, get your blood sugar checked annually.

No, drinking Coke can not cause diabetes. Bad eating habits in general can trigger the onset, but only if you are already predisposed to diabetes.

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I obviously can't infer much into the particulars of this case - but I wanted to mention something in regard to this part of the post: "For example, what else is she consuming and what is her medical history?" I personally consider myself to be addicted to coca-cola - I drink *at least* 5 cans a day, down from the 9 minimum I was drinking daily 2 years ago. But aside from my obsession with the sugary beverage, I consider myself a very healthy eater - I typically don't eat desserts or sweets (and when I do usually only a single bite portion), I eat a lot of whole grains and plenty of vegetables, I try to stay away from overly fatty or overly synthetic food stuffs, and I eat much much smaller portions than the typical American. So I guess I'm not saying that we shouldn't wonder what else she's injesting, but rather that we shouldn't assume that just because she drinks a ridiculous amount of coke that she's also pigging out on candy and fried chicken every night either.

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