Are soft drinks/pop really OK?

Actually, pretty much everything in California has a 'this product may cause cancer' label.
Or 'this area may cause cancer.'

Don't base anything on prop 65. It was a bill passed to increase revenue for companies that print warning labels and signs.

Soda is fine so long as you're not getting anywhere near a significant percentage of your calories from sugar. They are empty calories, so there is an issue of vitamin deficiencies. However, if you're getting all of your vitamins and minerals from the other food you eat, then sugar is not a huge deal. There is no evidence that sugar intake has any direct link to negative health outcomes.

And if you get your sugar from fruit, then you really shouldn't worry about it. But as always, do what works for you. As for cancer, everything causes cancer over time. Cancer is typically an old person's disease for a reason. Everyone eventually gets cancer if they live long enough, with the length of time dependent on environment as well as genetics.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430246/
I recommend this article. Also, as someone else mentioned, California has that kind of label on everything. Those kinds of labels are not seen in my state, as well as many other states.

As someone that consumes/has grown up on Diet Coke, I have looked into this issue, and of course I wouldn't say Diet soda is *good* for you, but there isn't conclusive/accurate science to prove it to be even detrimental to my life. If you look carefully at the studies, the amount of Aspartame the rats are consuming is actually physically impossible for a human to consume in a day. Even on days when I have a disgusting amount of Diet soda, it isn't even CLOSE to the amount they are feeding these rats. I need to stress this. Basically, the dosage they are giving these rats would be enough to kill them - regardless of what it was. Lawyers are trying to skew the studies to make a profit. The science really doesn't support these dramatic claims.

As an American, I advocate Diet Soda since a lot of Americans have grown up on fizzy regular sodas which contain around 210 calories per can! If you can allot that into your daily calories, I suppose that is your "dessert" choice, but I think for most people, if you dedicate *that* many of your calories to be liquid calories, you will be left feeling sluggish, still hungry, and very susceptible to weight gain. As you said before, nutritionally they aren't providing anything either. So, if you have Diet Soda, you can REALLY cut out a lot of calories. I know some Americans that have 5 regular sodas a day! That might sound gross to you, but I mean I am not shocked at the idea of having 5 diet cokes in a day (if your stomach is used to all that carbonation it isn't that horrifying to me, just a difference of what kinds of diets we are used to), but having that much sugar does shock me a bit. Still, it isn't my place to judge anyone, but I can say I have seen a lot of people really drop weight when they simply switch to diet soda. At this point, I would say for a lot of people it is definitely a more healthy choice in the sense that they need to lose weight and have weaned themselves off of an unhealthy product.

For me, my stomach ailments are all inherited from my mother (stomach can't digest a lot of foods), and the only concern I would have to heavy diet soda drinkers is to make sure to take Glucosamine and Calcium if you aren't getting a sufficient amount of calcium/have joint pain. Carbonated drinks ARE bad for your bones, so it is really important to be diligent about that. Also, take vitamin D to make sure you are actually "taking in" the calcium.

Diet drinks are yummy (I think) because I have grown up on them. They also really help my digestion because no matter how much fiber etc I have, I need a little caffeine so "get things going." Coffee has wayy too much caffeine for me. (http://coffeetea.about.com/od/caffeinehealth/a/How-Much-Caffeine-Is-In-Coffee-Tea-Cola-And-Other-Drinks.htm) But, that's just me. I know for people that need caffeine, but if have too much caffeine feel jittery, Diet soda can be a good option. Tea and things like that are obviously the "better" choice, but yes. There are also caffeine-free Diet sodas that I think are very convenient! Finally, if you are still paranoid about Aspartame, there are Diet sodas that contain Stevia which is all-natural and comes from a plant. It isn't artificial, so there is that option.

So, in conclusion, if you are diligent about calcium intake, there isn't a problem with Diet Soda.

Saying soda is good for you in moderation is like saying cocaine is good for you in moderation.

In to read all about how I'm going to die a painful cancerous death from my Mello Yello and Coke that I have when I eat at a restaurant. :laugh:

Damn, and all this time I thought it was the cow's milk, cheese, and bacon that was going to give me the cancer. :drinker:

I always think if it tastes good it's probably not healthy haha. I LOVE diet coke. I know I shouldn't but it just washes a meal down nicely, doesn't it?

I think it's all about balance. Don't have too much and make sure you drink healthy drinks too.

I was never trying to be rude, but more informative.

I didn't mean you were being rude, some of the replies were, like all of the very helpful 'OH NOESSS!' and someone telling you to 'stfu'. Basic manners really seem to be lacking on this site.

I completely agree that it's empty calories, even if I don't agree there is any evidence it's harmful in moderation!

It's all of the alarmist bull****....

Moderation! Don;t drink a gallon a day. You'll be fine.
Jack Daniels has a label that says "drink responsibly" I drink JD now and again and I'm fine. BE Moderate!

perhaps there should be restrictions on these drinks like there are cigarettes and alcohol? For large quantities available there in a 'single serving' that is.

restrict and regulate sugary drinks? oh hell to the no. i defend my right to drink myself to death with whatever i want. that said, ive never really been a soda drinker... i prefer my pure sugar in Skittles form. but i think that if soda is your treat of choice, and you can fit it into your diet, then more power to you.

ETA im American, and yes i am defending the rights of people to drink enormous sodas. that does not make it healthy, but food consumption is not something to be regulated by any governing body. educate the people and let them make their own choices. my body.