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Monday, July 15, 2013

Myth buster: Diet pop is not bad for you

So I told my wife today I was going to start drinking diet coke with my whisky instead of coke.  She said, "No, you can't!  You can't because of all the chemicals in it."  Of course my son was on the same boat, championing me not to make the change.  They were stunned, irate, that I even dared make the suggestion.

I said, "You guys are just making up your own traumas?"

"Hugh!"  They both moaned.

"Yeah, you heard me right.  You guys are are making up your own traumas. That means you're like the politically correct crowd in this nation who make up stuff to become stressed about."

"What do you mean," my son said.

"I mean that there is no evidence whatsoever that the chemicals in diet pop are bad for you.  In fact, there is actually more evidence to the contrary, or the product would have been off the shelves decades ago."

"But... but...."

"But nothing... diet pop is not bad for you."

Salt is not bad for you.  Exercise is not necessary to lose weight.  Serevent does not increase asthma related deaths.  Singulair does not cause suicidal thoughts.  Xopenex is not stronger and have fewer side effects than albuterol (it only costs more).  I could go on.

We, as a society, need to quit creating our own traumas.

2 comments:

migrainer said...

Diet soda is not bad for 'you'. For me, it's the perfect way to create a migraine. While studies have shown it's safe, there is a portion of the population, who for numerous reasons do not tolerate aspartame and NutraSweet.

Rick Frea said...

Some people can't tolerate sugar either, but that's no reason to "traumatize" society about it.