Living in the Sweet Trap: Consumer Lived Experiences of Persistent High-Sugar Beverage Consumption

Achmad Ridha; Leny Yuliana; Lidya Anastasya; Muhammad Anugrah Prabowo Putra; Fitriani

doi:10.55927/eajmr.v5i4.85

Authors

Achmad Ridha Universitas Negeri Makassar
Leny Yuliana Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Nusantara Makassar
Lidya Anastasya Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Nusantara Makassar
Muhammad Anugrah Prabowo Putra Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Nusantara Makassar
Fitriani Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Nusantara Makassar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i4.85

Keywords:

Lived Experience, High-Sugar Beverages, Emotional Attachment, Sensory Pleasure, IPA

Abstract

This study employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine consumers' lived experiences of persistent high-sugar beverage consumption. Drawing on in-depth interviews with twelve purposively selected participants in Makassar, Indonesia, four superordinate themes were identified: (1) sensory pleasure as sanctuary, (2) the brand as emotional companion, (3) the rationalisation–indulgence dialectic, and (4) habituation and identity entanglement. The findings reveal that continued consumption is sustained not by low health awareness, but by deeply embedded affective, embodied, and social mechanisms that consistently override rational health considerations. These insights advance understanding of the sweet consumption trap and carry implications for affect-sensitive public health interventions and responsible marketing.

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