Is diet coke really bad for small children?

[AndiPandi]

Read all sorts about artificial sweeteners etc, if child really wants coke (as a treat) would it be better to give normal or coke zero?

I am pretty sure, although no certain, that HV's recommend giving sugar free squash rather than the sugar full alternative. Maybe your friend thought that applied to fizzy drinks too.

I doubt having a very occasional cup of diet coke will have more of a negative impact than a full fat / sugar one.

I give a few sips of my diet coke very occasionally to my 5yr old (every couple of months or so when I order it in a pub or restaurant). Sweetners are only possibly harmful above the recommended levels (if you have no intolerance to it) a few sips every couple of months is far below this level so I don't sweat about it.

It's weird Alis I've never heard of anyone being addicted to any other soft drink, just Diet Coke. A friend of mine had a much harder time giving it up compared to stopping smoking.

I'm not a tea or coffee drinker either and only have (full sugar) Coke if I have a hangover. I do love a nice glass of water! That's where my similarities to a paragon of health virtue end I'm glad to say.

I drink loads of diet coke. I wouldn't want my children to follow my bad example but I'd personally far rather they drank diet than full sugar.

Yes it is ... Not for the caffeine particularly but the fact that it can alter the composition of their small bones.

It is all bad for all children but since one ordinary Coke contains more sugar than it is now recommended adults consume in a day, if you are giving them Coke at all it has to be diet.

What really makes my stomach turn is seeing and smelling people drink red bull and other energy drinks on their way to work. Who wants that crap first thing in the morning? Makes Diet Coke seem as pure as unicorn tears.

I prefer my DCs to have non diet drinks if they're having them, but DP thinks no added sugar squash is better and only drinks diet coke. I'd rather have water than diet drinks!

Neither is great for a 4 yo, but I let my DCs have coke at a restaurant if they choose it. I think sugar, while evil in it's own way, is still better than artificial sweeteners, but I know lots of parents don't agree.

Yes, it's bad for everyone. Including but not limited to, people in developing countries whose water supply has been threatened by coke factories near by; and union organisers in coke factories is South America, who have been shot while at work.

I'm not above a bit of food based "motivation" especially when you're trying to move a tired child along. Why not use nice stuff though? Most children love dried fruit, everyone has a favourite dinner. It's not making stuff forbidden, it's making other things available.

That's interesting squoosh. Does make you wonder what is being passed as suitable for human consumption!

I drink water like you wouldn't believe at work all day ( a glass am hour) then go home and just drink diet coke. Or wine if it's the weekend.

I get very bad tempered without diet coke in a way I don't even without having a cigarette for a while.

My kids can have water and think it's the best thing ever

I did know someone addicted to full fat coke. He was very thin but his tongue was ruined. Twas grim.

Coke is referred to as brown juice in our house, just to put the children off. it's working so far.

Oh, TheJump , I think I love you. And you Denzel

There need to be more people like you.

I don't think there are a dearth of people who refuse to let their kids consume fizzy drinks Hope.

It should be a once in a blue moon thing, whether diet or not.

I would always give my children a "natural" ingredient, like sugar or butter rather than a "manufactured" one- sweetener or low fat spread. I know the damage natural ingredients can do- we have thousand of years of experimenting to draw on. Unlike the manufactured ones....

I would rather give them full fat coke.

I would say lemonade rather than coke though - no caffiene.

My children are now in their 20s. I think we had less information so worried less about these things. My children probably had all sorts of stuff that would be frowned on now and yet they have grown up healthy

piscivorous I have a 13&16 year old DDs who seem to have done all right on sugar free squash and in DD2's case lots of both sorts of coke (DD1 doesn't like Coke)

Honestly there is as much sugar in fruit juice and very little evidence of any that sweeteners are harmful. I think they taste vile, but I don't think they are any better or worse for us than a lot of modern living.

Haha. Good one for a Friday night!!

Wouldn't recommend coke for a child, but I definitely will not eat any low fat or diet rubbish myself, let alone give it to a child

Although my DC have never expressed an interest, if I were to give a sip of coke I'd prefer to give them Diet. Dangers of sugar are much better documented than dangers of sweetener - my dentist is certainly a fan of artificial sweeteners where possible (for adults obviously, ideally children have neither).

Why on Earth would I want to give a young child a drink that immediately gives me a pounding headache and unquenchable thirst? Artificial sweetners are disgusting both in their taste and effect on the body. At least the crazy sugar level of coke is a deterrent to drinking an excess rather than posing as being healthy. (Yes, I drink it occasionally when lack of alternatives are available. DS has had sips on very rare occasions, if he's still thirsty after finishing his drink as it's not worth getting him another).

I wouldn't give any sort of coke to a child. We used to keep ours off it because it had them bouncing off the walls! Dreadful stuff.

We used to get cream soda and dandelion and burdock in tiny glass bottles with funny lids for special occasions when we were kids but never coke.

I drink the gold diet coke but I wouldn't let the kids have coke or diet versions of pop