weekender:
please don't be insulted by my skepticism. but I feel I have the right to question anything someone posts as fact. you wrote, "Here's what one of my clients and personal trainer has to write." I ask, what education does yours or any personal trainer have? what makes him an expert on soda or teeth? my trainer has a high school diploma but even if he had a doctorate I would like to know how he came to this conclusion. I would also like to be able to verify his research. your post mentions, "The British Dental Association sent out a warning ." I'm American and not familiar with this organization or their warning but according to their website they are a trade union and set work policies for dental professionals not set health standards or do research. a lot of warnings are thrown around the internet and sound professional and factual. many times I really have to doubt a good intentioned warning. perhaps diet soda does rot your teeth. I personally doubt it but admittadly don't know. so does my dentist though, who I hold in high esteem as a dental expert. but your post based on non expert opinion and anecdotal evidence hasn't changed my mind. if perhaps you or anyone can refer me to documented research by a recognized scientific organization I will change my mind. until then i'm going to drink diet soda with a clean conscience. finally, I assure you i'm not doubting your intentions or questioning your trainers intelligence or integrity. I just get skeptical about email health warning because so many fakes are out there.
One asks and one should have an answer - its good to question and not just take anything as fact because someone says it is.
My trainers advice, is wholly backed by my dentist who without solicitation asks me questions about soda consumtion and said exactly the same thing. She also tells me no hard candy which is all well and good, but I find worthers oringal a good after dive get the salt water out of your mouth thing.
For personal trainers training, (edit, misquoted my PT), they need to complete a course through a certifying agency before they can quailify for insurance. What they are expected to know, understand and show competency in is the following:
Subject areas include:
Basic muscle physiology
Energy metabolism
Exercise physiology training principles
Strength and aerobic conditioning
Safety guidelines
Sports training
Exercise testing
Body composition analysis
Safety, anatomy, and exercise
Complete program design and development
Documentation
Nutritional considerations for the personal trainer
Psychology, motivation, ethics, and success
Business of fitness: marketing/law/finance
This covers the "Certified Personal Trainer" portion of their title which makes them elegible for insurance coverage for their profession and most gyms won't let a trainer on the floor of their facility without being covered insurance wise. As a personal trainer it is in their best interst to stay on top of the health industry news so that they can keep their clients informed and make recommendations as requested (or in the case of my PT, pick on me for missing a current event). Soda being a big factor for water retention, obesity, blood sugar issues, etc., is an easy target to keep an eye out for, so when one of the worlds dental administrations puts out research stating that it is a contributor to other issues, you can bet your paycheck that the PT will have this as ammunition.
I also researched the BDA before I posted since I have the great luxury of having free time and a big internet pipe at work, here is the link directly to the article - I encourage you to look around the site to ensure its validity:
http://www.bda-dentistry.org.uk/advice/news.cfm?ContentID=1264
To help lay at ease the fact that I may post something that is unsubstantial, with the exception of stuff I post in jest, I do have verifiable credible sites and am not shy to call my doctor, chriopractor, etc., to get a professional opinion if I feel skeptical. I may not always post my sources, but I am more than happy to provide when asked.
