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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to want to be free to choose to drink sugary shite if I want to?

324 replies

HodorHodorHodor · 17/03/2018 19:34

Was in Subway earlier (yup IAdefU for that) and went over to get the drinks out of the fridge cabinet. Only choices were Pepsi max, diet Pepsi, club zero, 7up free. I had a bottle of water in the end, as I can't stand artificial sweeteners. Called over to my OH the choices (classy) and the guy behind the till said it wasn't Subway but Pepsi's fault and this was how it was going to be from now on. WTF? I get it's cheaper with the sugar tax etc but it seems to be more and more how this is going. I'd rather drink sugar than the chemicals pumped into the sugar free versions. Just feels like the element of choice is stealthily being removed. Tried a quick Google but couldn't see anything about this. I was still in the process of forgiving Subway for ditching Coke! I'm not about to combust with rage about it but just wondered what you all thought.

OP posts:
SD1978 · 17/03/2018 21:56

I agree that there should be a choice. I would pay a sugar tax to get a can of coke, which is infrequent, over a diet one. People like me- infrequent drinkers, will be put off. People who live one the stuff, will continue to do so. And it’s ridiculous. I don’t many people who have become overweight because of sugary drinks in their own. In the absence of other eating habits which have caused weight gain. I also detest LOSALT. I want bloody salt. I dont want your chemical made up variation of healthy and disgusting tasting salt. I believe th optioned should be there, but there is t enough research yet on the long term affects of all these chemicals. I’d rather be allowed to drink what I feel is appropriate.

notangelinajolie · 17/03/2018 21:56

I hate hate hate what they have done to Lucozade. It tastes like some chemical infused disgusting mess. My go to drink is now undrinkable. I spent ages at Tesco this morning trying to find something read desperate anything that doesn't contain sweeteners. The only thing left is Coke original who are standing firm and not changing the recipe. I don't love it but I bought it on principal.

It is outrageous that we can't have the choice. Someone, somewhere please see sense and grab with coca cola this sugar fueled business opportunity.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 17/03/2018 21:59

Looks like I'll be boycotting Subway.

manicinsomniac · 17/03/2018 22:07

YANBU

I mostly agree with the sugar tax (though I have a T1 diabetic friend who is adversely and unfairly affected by it and I can see her point but think that, while it sucks for that tiny minority, it benefits the majority) but the choice to pay more for a full sugar version should definitely be there for those who want it.

And not telling people is just terrible. I make opposite choices in that I drink a horrifying amount of diet coke and am terrified of liquid calories. I watch bartenders etc like a hawk to check they aren't accidentally giving me normal coke (I can't tell the difference until I start to feel the sugar on my teeth later on) and would go into meltdown mode if I found I'd unknowingly drunk a sugary version.

It's not on at all to trick people in either direction.

MunchMunch · 17/03/2018 22:09

Coke mightn't be changing the recipe but they're re-sizing the bottles. It went from a 2l bottle to 1.75l to now 1.5l as the standard bottle for the price of a 2l bottle.

Gwenhwyfar · 17/03/2018 22:10

Great news for me. Let's hope I won't have the problem of no Diet Coke option any more.

WeirdnessOfDoom · 17/03/2018 22:11

YANBU OP, can’t stand sweeteners either.I ised to have some Lucozade once in a ble moon, it’s vile now.

MudCity · 17/03/2018 22:13

YANBU. It is almost impossible to find a normal fruit squash in the supermarket these days...they are all no sugar.

We are being forced into consuming sweeteners and I’m not happy about it.

EatSleepRantRepeat · 17/03/2018 22:14

Ugh, Ace-K makes me vom too, and I'm one of those people who tastes it as bitter rather than sweet. I got a caramel latte with sugar free syrup in it once and the barista had the cheek to argue that it was impossible to tell which one he'd put in it. It takes like they've dumped a whole salt cellar in it to me, so had to throw it away

ArkAtEee · 17/03/2018 22:18

YANBU. I am Type 1 diabetic and occasionally need a high sugar drink to raise blood glucose. Surely they should be asking companies not to incentivise high consumption by including in meal deals etc rather than taxing.

Llamallann · 17/03/2018 22:25

In Scotland we are in fact so outraged that there’s been a petition to Barr’s about the new Bru recipe!

Aren’t artificial sweeteners worse for you? Aspartame for example?

madeyemoodysmum · 17/03/2018 22:28

The amount of us that are unhappy. That's got to put a dip in profits.

Someone will surely spot the gap in the market and offer a range of full fat fizzes. I'd happily pay 10-20% more for a drink I enjoy

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 17/03/2018 22:32

Depending on the sweetener used I can get the screaming shits, extreme vomiting, severe migraine or a mixture of the three!

This has been confirmed to me by doctors, as in “you must not consume artificial sweeteners”. Drives me crazy that it is difficult to avoid the artificial crap.

expatinscotland · 17/03/2018 22:33

'Looks like I'll be boycotting Subway.'

Just order a coffee or tea if you go for the meal deal so they can't spring one of those rank sugar free ones.

Ollivander84 · 17/03/2018 22:39

I like having the choice - 99% of the time I drink Coke Zero. But every so often I just want a full sugar coke!

eurochick · 17/03/2018 22:43

Artificial sweeteners have a really bitter tang to me, and some give me a headache.

I drink water and black coffee (no sugar) day to day. Occasionally I want a nice Coke or Seven Up (maybe once or twice a month). And I want it with sugar. Everything in moderation is what we should be teaching. Not have as much crap as you like and the nanny state will make it slightly healthier. Grrrr.

Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 18/03/2018 10:27

I think what some of using this thread are concerned about is the as yet unknown long term effects of the so called healthy alternatives.
It’s wise to be concerned generally as there is limited evidence due to the shorter length of time many of these sweeteners have been in use, however saccharine has been around since the early 1900s and was widely used due to rationing in WW2, so it seems likely that that is probably ok as more issues would have come to light by now if not. The evidence on aspartame is more limited, but has been in use now for 20-30 years. Evidence is extremely difficult to untangle from other factors that are involved (eg does using artificial sweeteners cause obesity or does obesity encourage more use of artificial sweeteners). One of the problems may be that it encourages a habitution for sweet food and drink which is unhelpful. OTOH we do know that sugary drinks are particularly bad at increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. We may make sensible decisions, but we also know many people don’t and often don’t for their children. Hence the ‘nanny state’.
Personally I think everything in moderation is best, and have recently swapped a daily Diet Coke ‘habit’ for sparkling water. It was difficult, but I feel good about it- whether it’s better for my health I don’t know. However I will still drink coke or Diet Coke on an occasional night out if I’m driving. It’s all about levels of risk.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 18/03/2018 10:32

expat I don't like coffee with my lunch. Besides, if kept going in, I wouldn't be voting with my feet, would I?

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 18/03/2018 10:40

That's a point. DS1 has cystic fibrosis and CF related diabetes. He actually benefits from extra sugar. He would not be happy if he went into Subway and they didn't have normal sugary Pepsi.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 18/03/2018 10:40

It's getting so he can barely eat out anywhere.

AlonsosLeftPinky · 18/03/2018 11:00

My husband has cystic fibrosis and he's supposed to have natural sugars, not fizzy crap.

I'd have preferred them to levy the tax on sugar rather than eradicate it. I don't drink fizzy drinks and stuff so it doesn't affect me one way or the other, but the tax would have encouraged healthier choices as in water and natural juices at least.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 18/03/2018 11:04

Yes Alonso, but DS1 also has CF related diabetes. He's not supposed to have diet or sugar free anything, and he doesn't like hot drinks.

Ontheboardwalk · 18/03/2018 11:10

I went to McDonald's last week and was pleasantly surprised to be charged an extra 12p for full fat coke. I was happy to pay the extra as it was my choice. More companies should do this.

The nasty nurse had just stolen some blood from me and I wanted a treat to make me feel better. Diet Coke just wouldn’t have been the same.

Lethaldrizzle · 18/03/2018 11:12

Or just stop drinking fizzy drinks! Jeez they're hardly doing any good are they

HunterofStars · 18/03/2018 11:16

YANBU. I hate sweeteners as they give me migraines and trigger my IBS, which I haven't had a flare up of since 2013. I much prefer sugar over sweeteners as I don't know what sort of nasty chemicals are in those sweeteners.

I just hate the fact that the nanny state treats us like we're unable to choose for ourselves.

I'm probably going to stop ordering coke in restaurants and have juice or water, although at home I have been having Belvoir elderflower presse which I don't think has sweeteners for now