Question 1
Question 1:
After
reading the second article do you feel like switching children to diet soda is
a good way to avoid negative effects of SSB?
Why? How can you use this information with future clients?
posted by Unknown @ 6:35 PM
38 comments
38 Comments:
I would discourage soda consumption all together--whether that be regular or diet. Children need fluids that promote growth and nutrition. Milk, water, or 100% juice (in appropriate serving sizes) are obviously better choices than soda, but I realize that this may not be welcomed by all children...especially if they have been drinking soda extensively. Drinking diet soda in place of regular (which could be >8 oz/day) will easily fill a child's stomach and they may miss out on nutrition from solid food.
I think that the ideal approach is to discourage SSB drinking as much as possible. However, in the face of chronic SSB drinkers, I think diet could be an option. I understand that research suggests that people will just find a way to consume those calories elsewhere in their diet, but I wonder to what thresh-hold or what extent. For example, if a person drinks 6 Diet Cokes in 1 day, are they likely to consume 840 calories (the amount in 6 regular sodas) elsewhere in their diet? I sort of think not.
First off, obviously discouraging a pop and suggesting milk or water would be the best option. I would never actually recommend to a parent or child that they switch from regular to diet pop, I would suggest the child switch to something healthier to drink.
However, if the child was drinking pop everyday and there was no way to get him or her to switch, I believe that diet is the better of the two (yes, even after reading the article). A child does not need the extra calories from simple sugar. And I think suggesting they eat something, such as fruit, to go with it for satiety reasons.
Sarah S said...
I would also discourage both regular and diet soda from being consumed and would encourage milk, 100% fruit juice, or water. However, it may be difficult to get a child to switch off of soda completely, so I would encourage the parent to first try reducing the amount of soda they allow the child to drink and replace some of it with the options previously mentioned. With encouragement they would hopefully get to a point where soda consumption is eliminated or significantly reduced. I do not think that making a switch from regular to diet is going to help much, as either can have adverse consequences, and they are still not consuming the more nutritious beverages.
Sarah S. said...
Amy raises a good point - to what level do people replace the calories from their diet drinks with other foods? Sounds like a good future research topic...
I don't think that switching a child to diet soda is necessarily a "good" way of avoiding the negative effects of SSB. Children need very nutrient packed foods throughout the day and there is little wiggle room for empty calorie beverages. Encouraging children to choose nutrient rich beverages like milk could alleviate the negative effects of SSB.
Carly Johnson said...
First and for most, parents should never even give their child a soda in the first place. I don't think providing a diet soda over a regular is any better. Perhaps if their child dislikes how boring water is, they could use a little bit of Mio water enhancer. That might even be a little fun for the child to squirt it in their drink. Or a parent could always do half juice, half water.
I see that everyone has come to the conclusion that SSB's are empty calories that fill up a child's stomach resulting in them missing out on nutrition from food.
Diet soda in place of regular is not a more healthy option. As many have already stated, there are healthy options that exclude soda all together. Water and milk are the best options as well as fruit juice that is 100% real fruit juice is above soda. Children should not be drinking soda to begin with. I think starting a child with soda at a young age is opening the door to poor nutrient choices too early. If soda has already been introduced and there is no way around it, limiting the consumption per day and supplementing with some water and/or milk would be best. I don't know if "diet" over "regular" is a good trade off. Including fruits and vegetable with the decreased serving size may balance out the child's craving for the SSB.
While I agree with everyone I think that weening a child off of soda has to be done wisely. I remember as a child I was not allowed to drink kool-aid. When I went over to friend's houses I made sure to drink plenty of kool-aid. I think the all or nothing approach is going to fail with a child and their soda consumption. I agree with everyone regarding soda consumption and not recommending the parents to switch their child from regular to diet soda's. However, if you know children they will do what I did, find alternative sources to get what they want or what is popular to drink. I think in this instance it is important that the registered dietitian have a talk with the child as well as having the parent enforcing the education provided. Along with this the parent's need to make sure that they are a good role model for their child. It is one thing to tell your child not to drink soda when you yourself drink soda.
I completely agree with Molly. If you are going to discourage your children from drinking diet or regular soda, it is important for you yourself not to drink it!
I agree with most interns here in that soda must not be offered in the first place. However, the damage is already done. So to discontinue this practice, I would recommend the parents to reduce SSB and slowly add milk in the form of milk shakes w/ fresh fruit or smoothies made with non-fat yogurt and fresh fruit. This way, the kids are offered something new, fresh, home-made and nutritious. As for AS, no way.
I completely agree w/ Molly's comment that if you refuse something to kids, they will find alternative ways to satisfy their needs. So the best way to outsmart them, is to lure them into believing how 'cool' and fun healthier drinks can be.
I would have to agree with everyone that replacing diet soda with regular soda is not a healthier option. I think that parents should be strongly encouraged to give milk, water and occasionally 100% juices to their children. Growing up my brothers and I were never allowed to drink anything but milk at meal time. Still today in our 20's all 5 of us only drink milk at dinner. I think that if you let your kids get into bad habits at a young age it will carry over into adulthood and they will continue those poor dietary habits. I will agree that kids should be allowed to occasionally drink a SSB. If you tell a kid they cannot have something, they are only going to want it more.
I am not convinced that switching to diet soda would be an effective way to avoid the negative health effects of soda in kids (in this case I refer to soda in particular rather than juice). It seems to be substituting one problem for other possible problems. AS beverages/foods may not be much better for the body than SSBs. Although artificial sweeteners have been deemed safe by the FDA, there may be negative effects that we are unaware of. It is known, for example, that at high temperatures (often found in storage warehouses), aspartame is broken down into methanol and then to formaldehyde in the body. It is contested that fruit also contains methanol, so aspartame is not harmful in small doses; however, fruit also contains ethanol, which reverses the effects of methanol, while aspartame SBs do not. Those who consume AS beverages may consume large amounts because of the lack of added calories, so the byproducts may have the opportunity to build up in the body.
Sucralose is another AS that has adverse effects in some people, such as headaches, tingling, and dizziness (I personally experience severe vertigo when I consume sucralose, which I finally figured out after drinking 5-hour energy drinks). To have kids consume artificial products we have little long-term knowledge about, even if negative effects are not 100% certain, seems to be a gamble in their future health as much as drinking sugar-laden beverages. A better solution to me would be showing kids that they do not need to rely on processed items like soda to have happy taste buds, by showing them how enjoyable "real" food can be, and how it benefits their bodies so they feel good too.
I agree with Alana in that I disagree with pop/soda consumption of all kinds for children. Perhaps switching to 100% fruit/vegetable juice would be a good first step in weaning them off of sugary beverages, with the end goal of 4oz max juice and the rest as water or a calcium-rich beverage.
Molly, great point! Completely taking pop out of a child’s life will only make them want it more. It is best to teach children about moderation and when it is appropriate to drink pop (special occasions and such).
I agree with everyone, and I would not recommend diet soda as a replacement for regular soda to avoid the negative effects of SSB consumption. Like several people have said, children have little wiggle room in their diet for extra kcal, and need their kcal from nutrient-rich sources. If they are drinking lots of soda, diet or regular, they may not be getting enough of the nutrient-rich foods they need.
I completely agree with Molly. I think that children and their parents should meet with an RD when faced with this problem to discuss an individualized plan for them. If they are really drinking soda that excessively (I once assessed a client once that drink 12 12-oz Pepsi's daily!), maybe starting with simply limiting it, followed by completely eliminating it and drinking only water, an appropriate amount of milk, and an appropriate amount of juice (4-6 oz daily) would be the most effective. Everyone is different and different approaches need to be considered for each client.
I would not encourage children to consume any carbonated beverages. Water first, milk second, and 100% real fruit juice third. I can use the information from the articles with clients in the future to explain why diet isn't necessarily better, especially for youth.
I agree with Alana that children who are drinking soda will feel full and may miss out on the real nutrition that they need.
To begin, I would definitely recommend milk or water for children before sugary beverages, including diet soda. Although diet soda may have less calories and sugar it is still lacking in the nutrients that are vital for a child’s growth. Milk also is a source a protein that will provide satiety that sugary beverages do not contain. Making dietary changes is not easy but it is important to limit the amount of sugary beverages that children are consuming these days and the earlier the change the more likely the child will carry healthy habits into adulthood.
As many other have said, I also agree with Molly's statement that parents and adults should be good role models and also limit their soda or other sugary beverage consumption. It is important for children to see nutrition education and the idea of moderation put into practice.
I would have to agree with Emily that slowly getting rid of soda in the diet of a person who drinks it excessively would be ideal. If you tell them to stop drinking it all at once they most likely will rebel and not follow your instructions.
As a future RD, I would not make AS use my initial recommendation when counseling children for decreased SSB consumption. The article reinforced my conviction that water, milk, and 100% fruit/veggie juices are more effective beverage options to reduce overweight/obesity and associated disease risk. However, I will concede that decreased SSB consumption must be a family affair and that moderation over elimination may result in greater compliance.
I agree with Molly D. and Teju's responses. Children will find opportunities to choose their favorite beverages if given the opportunity. Therefore, involvement in beverage choice (e.g., letting the child pick their favorite fruit/veggie juice and/or their favorite fruit for a smoothie) may be helpful.
In general I would recommend consumption of other beverage choices instead of soda. For adults I feel recommending the switch to diet sodas for those who would not want to stop drinking soda. For kids, I have always thought that soda should be the occasional beverage and not for everyday consumption. I can use this information with future clients to dissuade parents from allowing everyday SSB consumption showing that even AS beverages are not the healthier choice.
I agree with Beth W. My brothers and I also never had soda as kids. It wasn't forbidden, but my mom never bought it so we never had it around. Now we only drink milk and water at meals and never seek out soda for a beverage.
I also agree with Beth and Emily. As a child, we were never offered SSB in the first place. We always only drank milk or water. I believe practicing healthy habits and being a role model is the key to teach children to make good choices.
Despite whatever evidence is out there that there is no effect of AS beverages on BMI and other factors, I would not recommend it as an alternative. I think kids are way too hooked on sweetness, and it can be detrimental to their acceptance of more nutritious foods. Replacing one sweet tasting beverage with another that also has no nutritional value is not really a solution to the problem. It will still fill them up, replace nutrient dense foods that are needed for growth and development, and train their tastebuds to crave sweetness.
I also agree with Aria's comments/concerns regarding the safety of AS. Well said! There are enough environmental toxins that they will come into contact with over their lifetimes. I think it's wiser to avoid putting things in their mouths that are manufactured in a laboratory.
I also do not think that AS is the way to help with reducing obesity in children. I think parents should try to reduce soda consumption as much as possible. If it is not an option early on the child may not even crave such sugary drinks. If they do offer it to their children it should be seen as a dessert in the sense that you only have it in moderation and not all the time. That way the child would be less like to feel like they should binge when going to a friends house because they never get it at their own house.
As far as trying to get children off of drinking soda parents should try to only keep good drinks in the house and try things such as lemon water and trying to change their pallet. The change from soda to other drinks will take time and effort but is worth it for their children in the long run.
I do not believe switching children to artificially sweetened beverages is the answer. It seems research does not absolutely prove that diet drinks are better, and could even be worse for children. I believe that if children are encouraged to drink water or milk instead of sweetened drinks, they will learn to choose these healthier drinks later in life.
I agree with Molly, if a child is completely restricted from SSB, they are going to find a way to get them anyway. Educating them on healthfulness of other drinks, like water, milk, are juice, and explaining to them why large consumptions of SSB are bad is most likely a better route than prohibiting them from ever drinking the sugar beverage.
Carly Johnson said...
Aria makes a good point on the negatives to the ingredients that go into "diet" items. The statement regarding aspartame in high temperatures is scary! Just give me plain old sugar please.
This may be off topic, but the same is with reduced fat peanut butter. You might as well skip all the fillers and go for the full fat of healthy peanuts.
I agree with Aria and Carly that in implementing diet soda you are getting a lot of those fillers that aren't necessarily good for you. It may be better to allow regular soda in extreme moderation and then push healthier beverages like water, milk, and 100% fruit juice.
Like many I think what people have said about involving the child in the lifestyle modification would be beneficial. Even at a young age, teaching children what foods are better or worse for their health still impacts the decisions they make. Knowledge can be a wonderful thing in that regard.
I agree with Kelsey. These SSB's are not going to help with satiety!
I agree with Carly and Aria's comments. It's better to have the real ingredient in moderation than a bunch of synthetic ingredients put together.
I think Beth made a good point about just not having the soda around in the first place. If it is out of sight its out of mind. I grew up the same way of always having milk or water with dinner. Just as Emily stated that it should be an on occasion thing that is how it was. Banning things does make people want it more, so if you grow up knowing that it is just an on occasion thing you will not feel the need to drink it as often.
I like the idea of giving children the education to choose the healthier option and not forcing them to choose something because as children and people in general, wanting what we can't have is inevitable. Many prior posts have come to this conclusion and I think it is something useful to keep in mind when talking to parents about soda consumption with their children. As well as the importance of moderation with anything.
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