To not understand why most people in the UK give their toddlers and small children 'diet' drinks? Is it a fad?

[Bellarosa1234]

I have lived in the UK for several years and now have a toddler DD. I have noticed all my English friends feed their toddlers diet drinks? Like robinsons squash, supermarket no added sugar squash, no added sugar flavoured waters etc. Am I missing something? Why do toddlers and children need diet drinks? When I lived at home we would dilute fresh fruit juices at meal times for the children? I did that infront of a friend and she made me feel like a bad mother. She said fruit juice is bad and full or sugar? I went to have a look at some "squash" in the supermarket and it seems like it is a con? My friend said it was kind for children's teeth but it still has fruit juice and added acid. Am I missing something? Obviously I want to do my best by my children but I just can't understand why people think diet drinks are great for kids, can anyone enlighten me? Thanks in advance!

I'm talking about Diet Coke, Fanta, Pepsi etc.

I don't class flavoured water (still or sparkling), no added sugar squash as diet drinks.

I am a bit of a hypocrite as I live off these zero/diet drinks but I know the dangers of them... i don't like these flavoured waters or squash (other than high juice or Ribena.

Otherwise I'd be seriously dehydrated all the time!

Great that yours do drink milk or water, but mine doesn't, so why would I refuse to give him an alternative? That's a shitty thing to do to someone you're supposed to love and take care of.

Mainly water or milk here but we also gave cordials from time to time and they are the full sugar versions. I don't have artificial sweeteners in the house as they not only taste horrible and give me an horrendous headache but my doctor has told me that with my bowel condition I should avoid all artificial sweeteners. Is rather give my children sugar and teach good dental hygiene than give them chemicals.

17 oranges! That's a lot of sugar from innocent. Sugar is public enemy atm, that's why people buy sugar free squash.

It's just a choice. It's not perfect.

Milk is fatty, water is tasteless, fruit juice is full of sugar, squash has sweeteners.

It's a cultural thing in uk and ireland, definitely, but i don't see it as a bad thing. Not every child is going to like the taste of water. I can only drink it when its ice cold. At least squash has plenty of water in it (i like it weak).

I had real trouble finding something suitable to offer my d sons in france and italy as squash basically isn't sold there. Fruit juice watered down is kinda rank and full of sugar and expensive in comparison. Plus it gives me UTIs. My sons drink water now quite regularly. Rarely milk. But they point blank refused it as toddlers. And milk just isn't as refreshing as other drinks.

water will help if yr body fluid is over concentrated, but if it isnn't, and you drink water, you just pee it out, it doesn't increase the volume of fluid in your body at all.

Milk is a food, not a drink, and it isn't a healthy food either. Only a few northern european people can digest it after infancy, for the rest of us, it is indigestable

dilute fruit jiuce or low sugar squash has the water potential that we need for quick hydration, and the water potential closest to the river water we are evolved to drink

notamummy. DH bought DD flavoured water a couple of times until I pointed out it contains around as much sugar as coke.

or a cup of tea, or a sports drink, etc, any of these better than water or milk, imo. None of my family can digest milk, we are not white northern european

We mainly drink water. I keep squash in the house, but buy the high-juice brands to avoid the sweetners as they give me thumping headaches and have a lingering aftertaste for hours afterwards. I'm not convinced that there is any health benefits to using artificial sweeteners. There seems to be growing evidence that they have a detrimental effect on our metabolism which reacts in a similar to sugars anyway. It is worrying that people don't perceive that artificially sweetened is diet if it doesn't explicitly state that.

Avoiding them when out is pretty difficult, so they will have what is on offer. Given a choice between a full sugar and artificially sweetened, I'd go for the full sugar as I have a better idea of what impact it has on our bodies, and we're more inclined to moderate that consumption in that knowledge. If there isn't a choice then we lump it.

It would be healthier if we adapted a jug of water on the table mentality that is more common in Europe.

water will help if yr body fluid is over concentrated, but if it isnn't, and you drink water, you just pee it out, it doesn't increase the volume of fluid in your body at all.

And if your body fluid isn't "over concentrated" you don't need liquid as rehydration. If you are dehydrated your body will use the water content of milk to restore the body's water balance.

Dd is 4 and she won't drink water so she has sugar free squash or watered down juice. In an ideal world she would just drink water but Ive got enough battles on my hands!my priority is that she's hydrated in the hot weather.

dilute fruit jiuce or low sugar squash has the water potential that we need for quick hydration, and the water potential closest to the river water we are evolved to drink

You're talking utter rubbish. You want a liquid with a high water potential for fast hydration. You get the greatest rate of osmosis when there's the biggest difference in water potential. Where did you learn your biology?!

The reason for rehydrating with electrolytes as well is to stop them from becoming out of balance (when a lot of water is taken on board quickly they get diluted).

Lol longlost, how do you think early man/ all animals survived? Water will absolutely hydrate you. It is true that milk is only okay if you can digest it, but most Northern Europeans can- possibly as an adaptation to help get more vitamin d in less sunny climates.

Bad teeth is more a stereotype because Americans adopted braces and whitening earlier and enthusiastically. Also fluoride added to tap water has probably helped British teeth.

Fairuza, I think a lot of people here are talking about young children who won't have developed a taste for squash yet- absolutely if your child has decided they will only drink squash it is better than not drinking, but there is no need to give it to little ones who are still happy with milk and water.

Also, please please stick to water if that is what school request! Spilt squash (including flavoured water) is a nightmare when spilt in a classroom.

there is a difference between needing fluid because your fluids are low, and needing fluid because your fluid is over concentrated. Water won't rehydrate you in the first instance,(for example if you have been sweating) but will help in the second.

milk won't help you at all if you are not a mutant who retains the enzymes to digest it past infancy!

Oh sorry, cross post it is just tap water you think won't hydrate.

Most tap water is fine- it isn't like pure water you know!

Also, please please stick to water if that is what school request! Spilt squash (including flavoured water) is a nightmare when spilt in a classroom.

yes, this is the main reason for insisting on water only in classrooms! But you can drink what ever you want at lunch times, no one has any right to stop you

Lol again at mutant! Higher evived surely! Or adapted to environment?

Lol longlost, how do you think early man/ all animals survived? river water, which is completely different to tap water, which is totally unnatural

And tap water is fine for most normal sweating! A bit of salt and sugar might help if very hot or is you have diarrhoea. Milk is a v good recovery drink for us X men (mutants!).