To think under 5s should not have Diet Coke.

[MagicMary1]

I just think when parents give their children Diet Coke. They must have a lack of understanding regarding the awful ingredients like aspartame. Or they don't care.

I'm sorry who honestly thinks Diet Coke is healthier than fat coke.

I try and avoid cola and soft drinks for my children, but when they have them I make sure they have the sugar ones as I'd rather them have a bit of sugar then cancer causing chemicals.

I'm not even a food snob. I just hate diet drinks let alone dc having them.

[Soubriquet]

Very

[pteradactyl]

Under 5's shouldn't really have anything fizzy. Having said that, my dd will drink fruit shoots and quite strong squash so it's swings and roundabouts really. I have to admit I do wear judgy pants when small children are drinking from big cups of it but I can't really summon up enough care to be particularly bothered what other people let their kids drink tbh

[FrankAndBeans]

YANBU but you will be told you are BU because it's not uncommon unfortunately. DD1 is almost four and has never tasted anything fizzy. It's a bad habit I wouldn't want to start, she only really ever gets water.

[EagleIsland]

Interesting that people have not heard the term fat coke and thin coke to discribe diet and non diet.

Both are bad but diet is a lot worse. Personally I find diet drinks too sweet

[DailyFail1]

Nothing wrong with eating full fat real sugar drinks in moderation. No need for diet anything

[crazywriter]

Oh yay more pexpletives judging other parents over what they choose to do with their children.

I can't tell you how much I've had judgy people lately because I choose to do something that they wouldn't.

And I live with a diet of everything in moderation. Judge me all you want. You're some stranger to me and if you said or did anything in a restaurant I was in (the only place my kids get pop) I'd just ignore you.

Nobody can do anything anymore without being judged by someone who thinks they know better.

[RichardBucket]

Both are bad but diet is a lot worse.

Reasons?

Nothing wrong with eating full fat real sugar drinks in moderation. No need for diet anything

Tell that to a diabetic.

[pteradactyl]

Fwiw I love diet coke and drink tons of the stuff. I've heard all about the potential negative effects from drinking it, so I'm not a moron. I would also allow my 7 year old to drink it occasionally but she hates the fizzy sensation.

[StillMaidOfStars]

Was hoping for citations rather more scientific in nature. Perhaps from Cochrane or well-regarded journals?

[DotForShort]

We avoid artificial sweeteners and fizzy drinks. We never have squash (it wasn't part of my own childhood or DH's so it just never occurs to us to have it in the house).

However, I can't get too worked up about other people's choices regarding such things. If an occasional Diet Coke or glass of squash is part of an overall healthy diet, I can't summon any response other than a shrug.

[DeleteOrDecay]

Re: the fat coke thing. My in-laws and a few other people I know refer to Pepsi/coke as 'full fat coke' they know it doesn't actually contain fat, but arguably the sugar in the 'full fat' versions could cause someone to become fat when drank in excessive quantities so I can sort of see where the saying comes from.

That said I'm not convinced the 'diet versions' are much better either.

[sparechange]

Is Green and Blacks sugar better for your kids than Cadburys sugar, OP?

[jdoe8]

aspertime is the most studded food additive in the world, it always comes back from reports as being healthy and not harmful. quacks think it is.

[sj257]

I would say under 5s shouldnt have fizzy drinks at all. Mine are older and do have some fizzy drinks now, but like you I don't let them have diet ones.

[Fairylea]

Just because something is artificial it doesn't mean it is bad for us.

Think medications, formula milk (ha - another can of worms on mumsnet!), multivitamins- like the prescribed ones my son takes. All artificial.

[Fairylea]

(Or some of it is).

[maddiemookins16mum]

My DD had coke before 5 (but not before 2 or 3 I think). I think it was Christmas or something. I'm pretty sure the odd glass now and then hasn't hurt her. She had Lilt on Christmas Day with her lunch (in a wine glass), I suppose I should have been a good mum and given her water, but hey, it was Christmas. Her favourite is the little round bottles of Orangina when we're on holiday.
Diet coke is awful, Full fat is nicer (I actually fancy one right now with crisps).

[MsJamieFraser]

I don't think kids should be eating sugar fizzy drinks under 5, however Yabu about aspartame, its been proven to be unfounded by the many tests that have been carried out.

[Y0uCann0tBeSer10us]

I think the link to cancer is unproven, but aspartame is clearly linked to the development of cardiac problems, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and (ironically) obesity. I'd say it's a long way from 'safe' and we never have it in the house. Links below are some recent papers from pubmed.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27129676

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27997218

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25231862

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23850261

There's even the suggestion that consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding can predispose offspring towards metabolic problems:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25263228

[RichardBucket]

I think the link to cancer is unproven, but sugar is clearly linked to the development of cardiac problems, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity. I'd say it's a long way from 'safe' and we never have it in the house.

Link to 3,029,038 articles about the effects of sugar.

But hey, it's natural!

[Eevee77]

OP you are so ill-informed I can't even muster the energy to write a proper response to this thread

[HolidaySpiritsReinbeerAndWhine]

Oh I'm with you op. I only feed my family my own cooking. I mean I can't really cook, it's more a fun game of food poisoning roulette, but at least they don't catch any imaginary nastiness from a can of fizz.

Actually, I've seen people spontaneously combust from drinking Diet Coke - though it could well have been from my intense stares of judgment on the heathens...

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

Ah we haven't had an 'aspartame will kill you if you even look at it' hysteria thread for a while

[Y0uCann0tBeSer10us]

Richard I think you have me confused with someone else. I haven't talked about the naturalness or otherwise of anything, and I don't deny that excess sugar consumption is also harmful. That doesn't mean that aspartame is safe or that the extensive literature describing it's detrimental effects (of which I posted a small sample) is invalid. It's not like you have to have one or the other - you could just have things a bit less sweet.

[LucyFuckingPevensie]

I love these threads.
My dts have had coke, cherryade and all sorts of fizzy shit from quite a young age - 3 or 4 ish, maybe even sips of it at an earlier age. Some of it full fat or full sugar if you're being pedantic, some of it full of the dreaded aspartame.
They drink milk and water most days at home. It really doesn't matter if they have the occasional fizzy unhealthy drink. It doesn't make them want it everyday, or make them combust - spontaneously or otherwise. It's just a drink at a party or special occasion.