averyschmidt

Hi again.
I've posted some in the past (on the boards I think) about my
experience with coercing my kids over sugar and junk food in the
past, and then the decoercion process, and that now they have a much
healthier relationship with food- certainly better than I had as a
child. But lately I've become concerned because my 8yo has
gradually gotten to the point where he wants to drink soda
throughout the day. He likes Coke and Root Beer, and wants one
first thing in the morning, last thing before bed, and every time in
between that he wants a drink. Occasionally he'll drink orange
juice as well, but not usually. Anyway, I know there are lots of
theories out there about sugar- some say that it's fine in any
amount and others say that it's basically poison. I'm not sure how
I feel, but I want to give my son accurate information. I've
expressed concern to him about the amount of sugar (isn't it
something like 12 teaspoons per can?) but he insists that he likes
it and feels fine.
If we're out of it he'll just walk the block and a half to the
shopping village where several stores sell it and buy one as he has
plenty of his own money.
Do any of you have avid soda drinkers in your families?
I don't want to screw up the progress we've made by being
overreactive, yet at the same time I'm worried.

Patti

[email protected]

In a message dated 5/22/03 1:53:43 PM, patti.schmidt2@... writes:

<< Anyway, I know there are lots of

theories out there about sugar- >>

This isn't what you're asking about, but I thought I'd throw it in anyway.
It's my understanding, thru different things I've heard over the years, that a
lot of soda is bad for bones, and even more so when they're still growing (kids
and teens). That's the part of soda I'm more worried about than the sugar
with my kids! They know about it, and therefore we have the moderation thing
around here with the soda/water/juice ratio. There's always soda out in the
garage, and they love it, and usually pick it a couple times a week. Sorry if that
didn't help much, Lara.........

Tia Leschke

>
> This isn't what you're asking about, but I thought I'd throw it in anyway.
> It's my understanding, thru different things I've heard over the years,
that a
> lot of soda is bad for bones, and even more so when they're still growing
(kids
> and teens

I think it's the high phosphorus which leaches calcium out of the body.
Something like that. Another thing to tell them is that a diet high in
sugar tends to cause insulin resistance, making both obesity and type II
diabetes far more likely.
Tia


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
saftety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin
leschke@...

Kelli Traaseth

----- Original Message -----
From: averyschmidt

**Do any of you have avid soda drinkers in your families?
I don't want to screw up the progress we've made by being
overreactive, yet at the same time I'm worried. **

My husband drinks quite a bit of soda. So I worried about it with my kids. Especially when we decided to let them decide on what they wanted to eat or drink.

We started this type of thinking about a year ago and its been fine.

At first my ds (10) would drink Mountain Dew all the time. After about a month or so he decided that he would have a soda a day, (sometimes its 2, sometimes its none). He hardly ever has Mountain Dew anymore, usually its Sprite. I just said to him that he could have it if he wants it, told him what was in it, we talked about it not replenishing his body (if there's caffeine in it) and all that. Then I left him alone.



Does your son get signals from anyone that his choice to have soda isn't the 'right' choice? I know for me if there's anyone around who thinks what I'm doing is bad or wrong, I'll do it even more. (I'm not saying you are doing this but maybe there's someone else around?)

I know sometimes my youngest would make some really off the wall requests at wierd times just to test me and when I'd say sure, she'd decide she didn't want it.

I know I went through a phase of drinking a lot of Coke, but now I don't drink any at all.

I bet it will pass.

Kelli~



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

averyschmidt

> Does your son get signals from anyone that his choice to have
soda isn't the 'right' choice? I know for me if there's anyone
around who thinks what I'm doing is bad or wrong, I'll do it even
more. (I'm not saying you are doing this but maybe there's someone
else around?)

I'm sure that he knows it makes me uncomfortable to see him drinking
soda after soda. I don't know if it figures into his decisions or
not. I think it's more that he thinks he feels fine and can't
understand why I'd worry about it.
As far as insulin resistance and type II diabetes... they have an
uncle with this (my sister's husband), and even knowing his
situation (giving himself shots several times a day, more than one
episode of some sort of insulin imbalance where paramedics had to
come, the fact that he's prone to other problems because of the
diabetes) they still have a hard time connecting it with drinking
soda. I also haven't stressed that too much because I wasn't sure
if diabetes was in fact related to high sugar diets... I thought it
was more a genetic condition. I'm definitely going to look this up.
It's just interesting because most of the conversations about kids
and sugar are about how they simply don't overdose when given true
freedom, and that's been true for my children for the past few
years. Now I'm finding myself in a situation where I think my kid
*is* overdoing it in this one area (soda). He's right now on his
second A$W root beer within the last hour alone.
I'm wondering if it could possibly be similar to an addiction... the
sugar high, followed by a crash, followed by a craving for more. He
doesn't seem bothered by this, because as far as he's concerned he
can always just have another soda- problem solved.
I'm hoping it passes quickly.

Patti

[email protected]

In a message dated 5/22/03 7:53:45 AM, patti.schmidt2@... writes:

<< But lately I've become concerned because my 8yo has

gradually gotten to the point where he wants to drink soda

throughout the day. He likes Coke and Root Beer, and wants one

first thing in the morning, last thing before bed, and every time in

between that he wants a drink. >>

Patti,

I'm cleaning out my way-overful mailbox, and I had saved this one. I don't
remember whether you got lots of responses or whether it was settled, and I
hope people didn't ignore it!

Do you want to talk about it anymore? (Maybe you don't...)

Keith, my husband, drank lots of Coke for a while, when he was early 20's.
He said after a while he noticed it made his throat weird, and he quit drinking
it for years. Now (25 years later and most of the time since) he drinks one
with a burger or steak, but usually drinks juice.

I went to college with a coca cola addict (we all said) who needed one in the
morning and at night. We used to walk with her to find one if she and the
dorm machines were out. In the dining hall, she'd always try the coke
dispenser at breakfast, in hopes that someone had forgotten to disconnect the tank and
clean it out. Sometimes she lucked out.

She was intelligent, wealthy and happy last I knew. I didn't ask about her
health. <g>

Kirby drank a lot of Dr Pepper for a year or so, and then went four or five
months with absolutely no caffein, just on his own, from New Year's this year
until sometime in late May, I think. Now he's occasional, lots of water.

Sandra

Sandra