Somebody lectured me about Splenda today
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mph323
Posts: 3,565 Member
At Starbucks (!) I was standing at the bar with her - she reached across me for truvia, I reached across her for splenda. We smiled at each other. And she says out of the blue "You shouldn't use that stuff, you know. It's worse than sugar." I did my tight, inappropriate stranger smile and finished stirring my coffee - and she keeps on lecturing! "You really need to stop using that, it's nothing but chemicals. It's really a terrible thing to do to your body..." and on and on as she's walking out the door. I half-expected her to hand me a pamphlet directing me to some kind of artificial sweetener support group. It was kind of surreal - and I wish I hadn't been so stunned that I had absolutely nothing to say 
I've read here about strangers making inappropriate comments in general about people's food choices, but usually not direct evangalizing to their faces - it's certainly a first for me! Does this sort of thing happen often, and am I just oblivious? Does anyone want to share a story?
And of course, now I'm thinking of all the things I could have said if I was just a little bit quicker on my feet - did anyone actually think fast enough to make a good comeback?
I've read here about strangers making inappropriate comments in general about people's food choices, but usually not direct evangalizing to their faces - it's certainly a first for me! Does this sort of thing happen often, and am I just oblivious? Does anyone want to share a story?
And of course, now I'm thinking of all the things I could have said if I was just a little bit quicker on my feet - did anyone actually think fast enough to make a good comeback?
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Replies
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About a month ago at work I was getting food on my lunch and when I went to grab a diet soda this random customer decided to tell me how awful artificial sweeteners are just because they make him sick and there's so much research on their problems. I finally told him "just because they make you sick doesn't mean they make me sick, I have no issues and I know many others who have no issues with them." It was a weird moment...I don't think I'd ever seen him in the store before. And, you know, he was taking up my already short lunch break.48
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I have quick comebacks and it is not always a blessing as I can be very sardonic.28
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About a month ago at work I was getting food on my lunch and when I went to grab a diet soda this random customer decided to tell me how awful artificial sweeteners are just because they make him sick and there's so much research on their problems. I finally told him "just because they make you sick doesn't mean they make me sick, I have no issues and I know many others who have no issues with them." It was a weird moment...I don't think I'd ever seen him in the store before. And, you know, he was taking up my already short lunch break.
Ugghh. And now every time you go to the store on your lunch break you're going to have that little moment of shoot, I hope he's not there today.
It's funny, as passionate as I've seen people get on these boards about the evils of artificial sweeteners, I've never seen anyone post that they would walk up to a perfect stranger and try to convince them to avoid the evil chemikalz. I'm having a very hard time trying to get inside the mind of someone who felt compelled to save random others from themselves.
edited for clarity12 -
If only you could silently and calmly empty your Splenda packet in their drink, while maintaining eye contact.128
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About a month ago at work I was getting food on my lunch and when I went to grab a diet soda this random customer decided to tell me how awful artificial sweeteners are just because they make him sick and there's so much research on their problems. I finally told him "just because they make you sick doesn't mean they make me sick, I have no issues and I know many others who have no issues with them." It was a weird moment...I don't think I'd ever seen him in the store before. And, you know, he was taking up my already short lunch break.
Ugghh. And now every time you go to the store on your lunch break you're going to have that little moment of shoot, I hope he's not there today.
It's funny, as passionate as I've seen people get on these boards about the evils of artificial sweeteners, I've never seen anyone post that they would walk up to a perfect stranger and try to convince them to avoid the evil chemikalz. I'm having a very hard time trying to get inside the mind of someone who felt compelled to save random others from themselves.
edited for clarity
I work at the store. Never saw him in 18+ years before that.10 -
concordancia wrote: »If only you could silently and calmly empty your Splenda packet in their drink, while maintaining eye contact.
She had this sort of detached kind of feeling - sort of drifty? She might have responded by dumping the coffee on my head!10 -
About a month ago at work I was getting food on my lunch and when I went to grab a diet soda this random customer decided to tell me how awful artificial sweeteners are just because they make him sick and there's so much research on their problems. I finally told him "just because they make you sick doesn't mean they make me sick, I have no issues and I know many others who have no issues with them." It was a weird moment...I don't think I'd ever seen him in the store before. And, you know, he was taking up my already short lunch break.
Ugghh. And now every time you go to the store on your lunch break you're going to have that little moment of shoot, I hope he's not there today.
It's funny, as passionate as I've seen people get on these boards about the evils of artificial sweeteners, I've never seen anyone post that they would walk up to a perfect stranger and try to convince them to avoid the evil chemikalz. I'm having a very hard time trying to get inside the mind of someone who felt compelled to save random others from themselves.
edited for clarity
I work at the store. Never saw him in 18+ years before that.
Ah! Hopefully it'll be another 18 years before you see him again
10 -
My husbands friend gets bags and bags of blueberries and eats them with spoonfuls of peanut butter. When asked why, he says that it's a super food and that it's helping his body because of the nutrition . He didn't want to believe that the calories still counted.
He started to walk up to others and talk to them about how they should be eating super food too.
Now he's 310lbs and 5'8. I guess the calories did count after all. Lol
He stopped walking up to strangers to preach about the super foods now but my husband said people would roll their eyes and walk away quickly or say something like well then you eat it. Lol30 -
I had a shopper at Costco tell me that the Splenda in my cart would tear me up inside. WTF! What does that even mean? Every time I purchase Splenda I hope I see her again. The yellow packet is my fav!25
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I quit using artificial sweeteners and do believe it's better not to use them, but...
Yesterday, I accidentally bought some no sugar added light ice cream with splenda. Mint chocolate chip, Publix "supreme" brand. It's pretty good...
I will eat it, which will likely take me a month or more, and I won't purposefully buy it again. So I won't be lecturing strangers in a coffee shop. In a forum here when it comes up for discussion/debate, I share my opinion it's better not to use artificial sweetener because it seems more likely to increase cravings more than satisfy them, but it doesn't do that to every one. But to a stranger in public? No, just no... 59 -
once i was out to eat with some people from my nursing class, and I ordered a Diet Coke. One girl heard me and said, "why are you drinking diet? you're already so skinny and besides, it's all chemicals that cause brain tumors and cancer and osteoporosis"
and I told her, "I actually already have/had osteopenia and a brain tumor, so I've got nothing to lose, really. I think I'll go ahead and order what I want." She didn't reply and left me alone lmao
I admire people who can manage to think of a strong come-back when people make inappropriate comments on their choices Any time someone makes a jaw-dropping comment to me I just stand there with my mouth open and nothing coming out 15 -
About a month ago at work I was getting food on my lunch and when I went to grab a diet soda this random customer decided to tell me how awful artificial sweeteners are just because they make him sick and there's so much research on their problems. I finally told him "just because they make you sick doesn't mean they make me sick, I have no issues and I know many others who have no issues with them." It was a weird moment...I don't think I'd ever seen him in the store before. And, you know, he was taking up my already short lunch break.
I'm allergic as hell to it all. But I wouldn't stop you from drinking one. lol7 -
Maybe tell people to mind their own business? I don't know why people constantly feel the need to police other people's lives, when their lives are usually sh#t.20
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I've had people telling me how awful artificial sweeteners are for decades. I used to listen quietly, nod, and say nothing.
Then I spent a lot of time countering with my own story of diabetes and how high blood sugar will destroy all my organs and will put me into a coma.
Now I'm too old to be told how to live my life and listen to discussion of my choices, or hear one more time about how someone ordered a triple bacon cheeseburger with a diet coke (Me. It was me. I ordered it.) So now the only response you'd get from me is a death stare while I drink my coffee with 3 Splendas.29 -
CarvedTones wrote: »I quit using artificial sweeteners and do believe it's better not to use them, but...
Yesterday, I accidentally bought some no sugar added light ice cream with splenda. Mint chocolate chip, Publix "supreme" brand. It's pretty good... I will eat it, which will likely take me a month or more, and I won't purposefully buy it again. So I won't be lecturing strangers in a coffee shop. In a forum here when it comes up for discussion/debate, I share my opinion it's better not to use artificial sweetener because it seems more likely to increase cravings more than satisfy them, but it doesn't do that to every one. But to a stranger in public? No, just no...
I have to ask - how can you take a month to eat a container of ice cream??
Yeah, people have strong opinions on all kinds of food issues, and mostly we all manage to line up at the grocery checkout without more than a side-eye at the contents of other people's carts. I really can't fathom what would drive a person to confront strangers in public about their choices, risking bodily injury I would think if they hit on someone's hot button.6 -
100_PROOF_ wrote: »My husbands friend gets bags and bags of blueberries and eats them with spoonfuls of peanut butter. When asked why, he says that it's a super food and that it's helping his body because of the nutrition . He didn't want to believe that the calories still counted.
He started to walk up to others and talk to them about how they should be eating super food too.
Now he's 310lbs and 5'8. I guess the calories did count after all. Lol
He stopped walking up to strangers to preach about the super foods now but my husband said people would roll their eyes and walk away quickly or say something like well then you eat it. Lol
I see blueberries in all the "top 5 superfood" clickbait articles, but peanut butter? Who knew?9 -
and yet i just bought my coworker a 1000serving bag of it as a gag gift for him leaving (as well as a huge bottle of texas pete)4
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You should have said “oh yes, I’ve heard that before, and I have some great info about it” and then pulled up the “why aspartame isn’t scary” thread on your phone...14
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L1zardQueen wrote: »I had a shopper at Costco tell me that the Splenda in my cart would tear me up inside. WTF! What does that even mean? Every time I purchase Splenda I hope I see her again. The yellow packet is my fav!
That's a new one - you should have asked her how many times she's seen instant death due to splenda at a coffee shop...16
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