How many parents have any idea how dangerous diet sodas can be for their children? Those who think diet soda is safe should read the following carefully.

I recently read that in a report to Congress, the Agriculture Department said that the influx of junk food to school cafeterias is a growing problem. This junk food, according to the Agriculture Department, is contributing to obesity and other health problems. I don't doubt this for a moment. However, one of the most serious problems facing students today in our schools is the Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) that is found in the diet sodas that the students constantly slurp down in an attempt to avoid the sugar in regular sodas.

Turn to the Internet at www.dorway.com and you can access hundreds of pages of documentation for yourself regarding Aspartame. The information you find there was assembled by Aspartame victims and their advocates. Most of it was taken directly from government files.


[This message has been edited by Rockne (edited 02-15-2001).]

While at my school soda (diet or otherwise) is NOT an option, as a MOM, I appreciate your concern to alert other parents to the apparent dangers of it.

To Donnadoooo@aol.com:

Please pass the word about aspartame to alert your friends. My original post was edited considerably. You can write to me if you need more information. I'm just glad that I was permitted to speak out on a serious subject.

I do not want to sound droll but one of most serious problems in school being diet soda?
I would have thought it might be lack of ability to read, low teacher salaries, maybe even lack of facilities in the inner cities.
Diet soda, any soda for that matter is a problem that you can educate YOUR children on at home. To lay this at the feet of the school system is ridiculous.

I agree.. all the perils you mentioned are indeed most important. I didn't; however, see this poster as blaming the schools, I interpreted it as a sharing of information.(I may be reading it wrong) Regardless, my school doesn't offer soda to our students and my kids aren't exactly BIG soda drinkers and it wasn't of paramount importance to me. I was just recognizing a posters right to share information.
To each his/her own.

As with any debate, there are two sides to the aspartame debate. Check out http://www.msfacts.org/aspartame.htm for another side.

(I have no opinion one way or another because I never heard of the problem before.)

Marion