Should children be allowed to drink diet soda? - Page 3

[*bejeweled*]

Originally Posted by Tjej 

Yeah, you've got two separate problems here.  The rewarding a tantrum problem, and the aspartame problem.  For the tantrum, would your DH realize he is rewarding it if you pointed it out to him?  For the aspartame, just buy regular pop and that is no longer possible.

Tjej

For sure. I would never allow DD (age 8) to drink Diet anything! I give her regular soda very occasionally.

[1love4ever]

 OP, I certainly would not let any kid have soda at all, and yes the Aspartame is way worse than the sugar, probably worse than HFCS too, though that is a close one.  Here is a video for you to watch   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvzDHGLEUyw&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1   it mentions aspartame and also talks a little about the corn that is in the HFCS.  For more info on that corn here is another video http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food 

[ctdoula]

Nope, not regular not diet. The ONLY exception for us is ginger ale for treatment of car sickness if necessary.

Soda is 100% junk food regardless of diet/regular and why on EARTH would I want to get my kids into that habit?

Here it's water, milk or fortified OJ (my son doesn't drink any milk) and the very occasional lemon aide in the summer. Period. Even at parties my kids aren't even tempted, don't ask. They can have juice on occasions like that, but that's it.

[MJB]

Originally Posted by stephbrownthinks 

I am very curious what "research" has proven aspartame "safe" as well. The FDA lists 92 side effects and the majority of the food complaints they investigate per year are related to Aspartame.

I would love to see where you foung that on the FDA's website. The most recent FDA statement about aspartame, available online, says, "Aspartame was first approved in the United States in 1981 and is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners. When metabolized by the body, aspartame is broken down into two common amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and a third substance, methanol. These three substances are available in similar or greater amounts from eating common foods." and concludes, "Considering results from the large number of studies on aspartame's safety, including five previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies, a recently reported large epidemiology study with negative associations between the use of aspartame and the occurrence of tumors, and negative findings from a series of three transgenic mouse assays, FDA finds no reason to alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe as a general purpose sweetener in food."

[GardenStream]

Absolutely no artificial sweeteners is our rule. I consider artificial sweeteners to be poison and I would be furious if ANYONE gave it to my child. Everybody that knows me knows exactly how I feel about it and why. DH will still occasionally drink diet soda when out. He is an adult and can make that decision for himself. As long as he doesn't offer it to the children or bring it into the house, it's fine.

I have severe migraines if I even take the tiniest sip or bite of anything containing artificial sweeteners. I'm not about to take the chance that my kids might have the same reaction.

[teraze]

My son's pediatrician almost had a stroke when I told her I had been drinking Diet Coke (in a moment of weakness when I was thinking, how am I gaining weight while breastfeeding?!).  I'm to stay away from aspartame one hundred percent of the time.  :)

DS is an infant still, but he won't be drinking diet anything.  It's not allowed in our house.

[Sol_y_Paz]

No.  I believe diet is much worse than regular, which I also do not think is appropriate all the time.  However, I have found what parents do with their children as far as nutrition habits are not within my control.  But if I were in your situation I would talk to your DH about the why and research behind your decision for your own children.