"It won't make a difference"

[WaywardTraveller]

My DP has a diet coke addiction. He gets through 6-8 cans a day. Beyond the expense of this (and we do not have joint finances or children, so I have less say on this front), I have raised the following concerns:

1. Surely it can't be good for him, guzzling all that chemically, artificial sweetener laden crap every day? - he claims there is no conclusive study yet that proves that diet drinks are bad for your health.

1. The amount of waste these 6-8 cans plus their plastic wrapping creates on a daily basis is, to my mind, extraordinary. He must be one of Coca-Cola's best individual consumer customers. Surely cutting back on the coke would make an (admittedly tiny) dent in the company’s revenue, with a knock on effect on demand and supply? – He says that changing his personal consumer habits “won’t make a difference” while fossil fuel combustion and the like continues. He points out that my car (he doesn’t drive) is far more damaging environmentally than his diet coke. And he finds the idea that his giving up coke could have any effect whatsoever on Coca-Cola laughable.

So… AIBU to worry about this? And if IANBU, how can I counter his arguments? Just to be clear, I will not LTB over this.

It could be worse he could be an alcoholic or addicted to something else so I would pick your battles tbh

I think YABU. He's a grown man who can make decisions about his own health and finances.

You're being ridiculous. What he drinks is his business.

I bet he doesn't mind having a lift in your car, does he?

I think he should ask his doctor and dentist what they think.

Of course it's not good for him 😒 I cannot imagine what his teeth will end up like if nothing else.

YABU, let him drink what he wants. He is an adult and can make his own decisions as to what he eats and drinks.

Sorry, but the idea that someone giving up 6-8 cans a day would make any sort of blip on Coke’s radar would make me laugh!

Leave him be. It’s not great for you but it’s not poison either. Are you honestly saying that you don’t have any bad habits whatsoever?!?

Challenge him to cut down to 4 a day over Lent or for a month or so, get him to pick something you need to cut down on too.
Cutting out all that caffeine immediately would be incredibly painful.

I agree with @chocolatebuttonsandcheese - pick your battles, it could be worse, and he's got a point - anyone that drives is hardly the shining beacon of sustainability.

There was an OP earlier who's husband only showered once every six days, I'd deffo take the diet coke over that.

Not the healthiest habit, but there are far worse.

Surely cutting back on the coke would make an (admittedly tiny) dent in the company’s revenue, with a knock on effect on demand and supply?

There are worse things.

His teeth and farts must be awesome.

How can anyone drink that much fizzy drink without becoming a baloon?

Show him this: www.getthegloss.com/article/15-reasons-why-fizzy-drinks-are-evil

Very bad for his teeth

I'd let it go. If he wants to damage his health let him. Him giving up will make no difference to Coca-Cola 's revenues at all as they must sell millions and millions of cans daily. Just be happy it's the fizzy coke he's addicted to and not the powdered type .

I don't think you're being ridiculous, all that coke is really bad for him.

It's not good for him or his body. But he's a grown man. You can fire all the info and advice at him that you like, but when all's said and done, you really have no say in what another adult chooses to consume.

I'd hazard a guess that constantly nagging him about it is only making him more determined to drink the stuff.

Just let him know that you shan't be kissing him any more once his teeth start to rot, and leave him be.

I hate the term 'guzzling'. It's patronising and judgemental and pure daily fail.

He should probably get his calcium levels checked:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5266683/
In the grand scheme of things, provided his vitals are within reference ranges, there are far less healthy vices people engage in without society at large raising so much as an eyebrow.

I'm often sadly amused by the antics of two people in my office, loudly declaring how hideously unhealthy the energy drinks another colleague indulges in, while they guzzle lattes with twice the caffeine, twice the sugar and a big dollop of fat from the cream for good measure.

Apologies for my use of the naughty G word, BrightYellowHat

Are you all honestly saying none of you indulge in chocolate, sweets, crisps, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, meat, dairy, fast food, convenience food, packaged goods, car journeys, air travel, pets??

All of those things are either ‘bad’ for health or ‘bad’ for the environment. It’s one thing to avoid those things for yourself, but to be all cats bum face about another grown adult drinking a soft drink is bizarre unless you can claim to live a squeaky clean lifestyle?

I don't mind 'guzzling'. It's 'sipping' which I take issue with. Pretentious as fuck.

Oooh I love a good guzzle, me
I'm currently guzzling a G&T!

I take issue with slurping - eurgh!

Thank you all.
Me and DP have greatly enjoyed your responses.
On this occasion I will admit IABU.

Actually I’d find it pretty revolting, 6-8 cans of that shit a day! 1 a day is bad enough.