I can't help but wonder if there was a method to their madness. The brain requires vast amounts of caloric energy to do anything interesting, and maybe all that corn syrup went to good use: solving problems and writing code.

Anecdotally, one of the best programmers I've ever met was bean-pole skinny and fueled himself with a big glass of OJ in the morning, cheeseburgers and fries at every lunch, and eating candy all day while writing code. (Of course, he also got lots of physical exercise).

Just a thought.