Question:
I need advice on sugar substitutes and my children....

I was just making a pitcher of crystal light and as I added a couple packs of sweet n low, I thought about my kids drinking it. I have a 3, 4, & 5 year old who eat along with me now and just love the crystal light,but is all the stuff in sugar substitutes safe for them or even my diet pop?(not to mention sugar free cookies and stuff like that) I never thought to ask before. Thank you for the advice!!!!    — Sandy M. (posted on April 19, 2003)

April 19, 2003
I don't know of any long term studies about children and sugar substitutes. Things like sugar free cookies and so on, you need to be careful with. Often when they take out the sugar, they add fat so that the cookies still taste good. It's the same way with low-fat cookies. They add sugar so they still taste good. It's really important to get into the habit of label reading. Look closely at the serving size. Sometimes what they put on the label as a serving is not what most people would consider a serving. Most canned pop (with or without sugar) says that a serving is half a can. Most people drink the whole can. I'm not sure how helpful any of this is to you. It might be a good idea to get your kids to drink more water and keep any flavored beverages to a minimum.
   — garw

April 19, 2003
ask your childrens doctor about them drinking the artifical sweetners. i don't see a problem with it i think if you can get them to drink crystal light instead of sugery kool aid that's great. i'm sure your post op diet can't be that bad, it's gotta be ten times better than your pre op diet. happy easter, kimberly open distal bypass 11/12/02 -80lbs
   — kimberly T.

April 19, 2003
To me the risk of diet additives is slight compared to the complications and loss of quality of life when living with morbid obesity. I don't know about your children but with my little one its been obvious for years she will be morbidly obese without intervention.
   — Shelly S.

April 19, 2003
My daughter is able to consume sugar-free products without any ill effects. My son however, who has ADHD, OCD and an anxiety disorder must stay away from them as much as possible. A small amount doesn't do TOO much, but more than that screws with his thought processes. Current research (and your family doctor should be able to provide documentation of this)shows that many artificial sweeteners MAY cause problems with the developing brain - especially in a child who is prone to mental abnormalities (ADHD, OCD, delayed development, anxiety or panic disorders, etc). For mentally "healthy" children "The recommended daily intake of aspartame for children between the ages of 2 and 5 is no more than 8 to 17 milligrams per 1 kilogram of body weight. For a 20-kilogram child (approximately 45 pounds) this would mean a maximum intake of 160 to 340 milligrams of aspartame per day. 12 ounces of diet soda = 225 milligrams of aspartame." [ http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/aspartame.html ] My sons doctor says that the jury is still out on the effects on the growing childs brain of Splenda (taken from real sugar), but recommends we avoid it for him anyway, until further studies are done.
   — [Deactivated Member]

April 20, 2003
This was a concern of mine too. Since we don't really know the effects of the fake sugars (aspartame, saccharine, etc.), I think where kids are concerned, you should stick with the natural sugars.....fructose, turbinado sugar and Splenda. You can cook/bake with other sugar substitutes or natural sugars that shouldn't make you dump and many of the pre-made desserts now are being made with Splenda and frustose. When I'm at the store looking for something sweet, I don't even buy it if it is sweetened with aspartame or saccharine! For anyone interested, check out my profile page, or www.freewebs.com/recipes-after-rny for special occasion recipes, sample recipes, photos, and ordering information for the recipe book.
   — Lynette B.