To wonder who is drinking sugary drinks with their dinner

[Seventy6]

Govt advice is that families should have a jug of water on the table at dinner time. Do people really have sugary or even fizzy drinks with their meal?

[dancestomyowntune]

Mine usually have iced water with meals, but occasionally lemonade or squash. I don't think it's a huge issue.

Those of you saying you wouldn't buy squash because of all the additives, you are aware that tap water has additives and chemical traces in too, right?

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

Might open a bottle of something flat to celebrate

[Ketchuphidestheburntbits]

The supermarkets would not stock squash, fizzy drinks and dozens of varieties of fruit juice if nobody bought them!

I am happy to say that I drink orange juice with my evening meal every day and enjoy a glass of weak squash when the weather is hot. I mainly drink water during the day and have no intention of ever giving up fruit juice, squash or sugary treats. I have never been overweight and think moderation and common sense is key to sugar intake rather than cutting it out completely.

Anyone care to join me with a nice mid morning cuppa (no sugar, a little milk) and a chocolate digestive (not sugar free)?

[lady1980]

Each to their own , I would occasionally as long as everyone is happy , I don't judge ,

[LiegeAndLief]

I never drank water as a child. I only ever remember drinking squash or lemonade. We bought the old glass bottles of 7up in crates which lived in the shed.

As an adult I'm a size 10 and usually choose water over anything else (non alcoholic!) and hardly ever drink lemonade. So whilst you can't argue against water being better, and if your child is actually overweight fizzy drinks are probably not a good idea every day, I really don't think it's the work of the devil to give your kids squash with their tea.

Ironically both my dc will only drink milk and water, despite being offered plenty of other stuff. This makes them look weird at parties.

[LiegeAndLief]

Gotnotimeforthat, I grew up in a hard water area and don't like the taste of soft! At work I prefer the tap water to the stuff out of the water cooler.

[Sicaq]

I think the problem with a lot of government health campaigns is that they focus on physical, tangible objects, rather than destructive patterns of behaviour. So because sugar CAN be part of destructive behaviour patterns, someone decides that sugar itself is the problem. Same with alcohol, especially where pregnancy is concerned.

[Sicaq]

Didn't put that especially well ... meant to say that I think that we're at risk of externalising the problem by labelling what are just edible chemicals, in the end, as good or bad. If we don't address the inner behavioural matter, we'll just substitute one bad habit for another.

[MegBusset]

Mine have lemonade if we are eating out. At home they have water or watered down juice (v occasionally squash but they're not that keen on it).

DH and I usually have a diet coke with lunch, with dinner DH has lager or OJ and lemonade, I have wine or water.

Between meals we all drink plenty of water.

[TheCatsBollocks]

Of course people do.
Us for a start.
We have water in a jug and apple or orange juice.

[BettyFlour]

"Or even fizzy drinks with their meal" - good grief OP it's not crack cocaine!

We all have sparkling water - that's fizzy! But no sugar. How does that sit with you OP?!

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

I do - love a pepsi max, have it with every meal....and god forbid inbetween means too.

DS has milkshake, squash, fruit juice, or pepsi max too.

I can't imagine anyone cares really what we drink with our meals.

Atually, this has made me thirsty, gonna crack open the fizz now.

[mijas99]

The big question for those who drink sugary drinks with meals, are you fat?

From a social research perspective, there are somethings that are big social class indicators. Drinking sugary drinks and being overweight in Europe is an indicator of being working class/lower class. Water and wine is a middle class indicator

Interestingly in the US, the middle class are fatter than any other class, probably because sugary drinks and junk food is more ubiquitous there

[gotnotimeforthat]

leige

I would take soft water over hard anyday! You cannot actually drink the water out of the taps at work. Its so cloudy and has crap (limescale?) floating around in it so the managers had to supply filtered jugs just so people can make a brew.

The water is slightly better at home but not by much.

[Hassled]

My DCs have always, always had a mug of milk with their evening meal - and it continued for the adult DCs until they left home. I don't know where milk sits in the line between water/good and sugary drink/bad.

I tend to have wine.

[gotnotimeforthat]

mija I drink sugary/fizzy drinks with pretty much every meal. I weigh just under 8 stone.

[LtEveDallas]

DD has Squash or Apple Juice or J2O with her dinner.
DH has lager
I either have water or diet coke (or if we are out, Vodka & diet coke)

[ComeHeather]

Yes we do. My DCs like a coke with their dinner at the weekends, and sometimes in the week too.

I posted on the other thread about this...I think making anything (within reason) into 'forbidden fruit' is unwise, IMVHO. Everything in moderation etc.

I've seen too many children go wild for sugary things once their parents are out of sight (at parties etc), because it's banned at home. They cant learn to self regulate if not given opportunities too.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Mija - No I am not fat. My diet is very healthy, I do loads and loads of exercise, I have great muscle definition, pepsi max is my one bad habit. My BMI is 21 - I am very healthy.

[LtEveDallas]

mijas,

DD isn't fat. DH isn't fat. They have the sugary drinks.
I'm fat, and I don't.

HTH

[gotnotimeforthat]

wait, so i am 'lower class' because i opt for a glass of coke instead of water?

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Actually, my fav fizz at the moment is Prosecco. Yum :)

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

Not often I say this but turning 'are you overweight' into a class issue? Only on MN

[ComeHeather]

And no we aren't fat or overweight at all, and we are middle class.

And we drink wine and beer too (adults).

[HighwayDragon]

I'll have a beer, dd only drinks squash