Boy Gags On Coke After Grandparents Force Him To Drink It, Parents Realize The Extent Of Harm

Just like the rest of us, kids need to eat a variety of foods to lead healthy lives.

However, the way father and Reddit user BigDaddyCoolDeisel imagines his children’s diet is very, very different from that of the family‘s older members.

In a post on r/BoomersBeingFools, he vented his frustration over relatives who can’t accept that his kids prefer water and fruit to soda and sweets and take it upon themselves to ‘fix’ this abnormality with unsolicited junk food.

Cross-generational differences can result in friction among family members

Young child eating colorful ice cream cone, illustrating boomer relatives undermining kids' healthy habits with candies and soda.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)

And for this man, most of it comes from relatives who disapprove of his kids’ eating habits

Text about boomers refusing to accept healthy kids' diet, with kids preferring water and fruit over sweets.

Text about grandparents bending rules with treats, highlighting boomer relatives undermining kids' healthy habits.

Text expressing frustration with boomer relatives undermining kids' healthy habits by allowing candies and soda, causing parental concern.

Colorful candies and soda-topped desserts scattered on a table, illustrating boomer relatives undermining kids healthy habits.

Image credits: Jeswin Thomas (not the actual image)

Relatives undermine kids' healthy habits by offering candies and soda, causing frustration for a concerned dad.

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Text snippet on a white background expressing frustration about boomer relatives undermining kids' healthy habits.

Image credits: BigDaddyCoolDeisel

Sugar consumption is a huge problem

A growing body of research is on the dad’s side. For example, a recent study in the journal Science shows that high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are more common in adults who were exposed to increased added sugars early in life.

“If you were exposed to sweet foods early in life, it’s likely that you’re going to prefer them throughout your life more than someone who was not,” says Tadeja Gracner, a scientist at the University of Southern California, who coauthored the research.

Sugar naturally occurs in some foods like fruit, but it’s also often added during processing or preparation. Children in the U.S. certainly eat plenty of added sugar, consuming an average of 17 teaspoons of it a day, which equates to roughly 300 calories.

This is well above the 10 percent of calories in added sugars recommended by dietary officials for children over age two, and far from the ideal of less than five percent of total calories the World Health Organization suggests.

(Ten percent would translate to roughly 100 to 200 calories, depending on the age of the child.)

Children under two should eat no added sugar whatsoever.

Reducing children’s sugar consumption is a key priority in the U.S. government’s Healthy People 2030 goals, but cutting the figures is challenging in a society where sugar is abundant not just in the candy aisle but in relatives’ cupboards as well.

Image credits: Photo By: Kaboompics.com (not the actual image)

People have had a lot of reactions to the story and have shared their own similar experiences, too

Reddit comments discussing how boomer relatives undermine kids' healthy habits with soda and candy, frustrating a dad.

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Reddit comment about boomer relatives offering kids unhealthy candies and soda, affecting healthy habits and parenting.

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Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing boomer relatives encouraging kids to eat more, undermining healthy habits.

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Comment from a user describing how boomer relatives undermine kids' healthy habits by feeding them unhealthy foods.

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Comment on supervising visits and limiting sleepovers to support kids' healthy habits against boomer relatives' candies and soda.

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Reddit comment expressing disbelief over kids being given Pop Tarts and a milkshake, highlighting unhealthy habits.

Comment about boomer relatives undermining kids' healthy habits by giving candies and soda, frustrating a dad.

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Commenter explains boomer relatives undermine kids healthy habits by giving candies and soda despite kids disliking it.

Comment discussing how boomer relatives undermine kids' healthy habits by offering candies and soda instead of healthy choices.

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Comment stating that forcing a child to eat something causing gagging is considered abuse in a parenting discussion.

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healthy food.” />

Text of a parent sharing frustration about boomer relatives undermining kids' healthy habits by giving candies and soda despite doctors' orders.

Comment asking to stop boomer relatives from giving kids candies and soda, supporting healthy habits and parental control.

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Text post describing Boomer relatives undermining kids' healthy habits by mocking food choices and pressuring to eat unhealthy options.

Comment discussing boomer relatives spoiling grandkids with candies and soda, affecting kids' healthy habits.

Commenter shares their son prefers water and occasional apple juice, enjoys candy and cookies in moderation.

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