Re: article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gain

[Guest guest]

Interesting article, I stopped drinking diet sodas years ago and now they taste completely awful to me. Artifical sweetners worry me, I would much rather have sugar in moderation - at least it is "real". My non-expert opinion on why diet soda drinkers seem to gain weight is that I think for most, in their minds they are "saving" calories on drinks and therefore indulging in more food. When I have a "real" soda, I'm aware that I consumed 150 calories or so and will be more careful in my food choices knowing that I splurged on the soda. But that is just me! :)I am drinking more water - sometimes sparking water/seltzer - and I do feel better - more energy, etc.

Take care,

Donna

From: Pink Pussycat <pinkpussycat@...>Subject: article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gain Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:58 PM

12/31/2009

Ask Amy

I have never been given a straight answer so I wanted to ask you. Can drinking diet soda make you gain weight?

The answer is a definite “maybe.†Technically, drinking diet soda shouldn’t cause weight gain because there are no (or very low) calories. And weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Therefore, the answer should be “no.†However, numerous studies have shown a correlation between drinking diet drinks and gaining weight. One of the most recent studies looked at eight years of data and found a significant correlation to obesity risks from drinking diet soda versus than drinking regular soda. The study found that there was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day compared to a 31 percent increase seen by regular soda drinkers. So the answer should be “yes.â€

You can see how things get complicated. Part of the problem is that many people switch to diet drinks when they notice their weight starting to rise which can contribute to the correlation of increased weight and diet drinks. It’s also possible that because a diet drink has zero calories, some people will make worse food choices believing that the diet drink will help offset them.

Another reason people often gain weight on diet sodas is that the super sweetness of the artificial sweeteners may make your body subsequently crave more sweets. So while you may save a few calories by choosing a diet drink, those calories “lost†can be quickly regained by snacking from your neighbor’s candy bowl or hitting the vending machine. Some studies have even found individuals who consume diet drinks and diet foods may actually consume more calories throughout the day.

So in other words, diet drinks may not be the cause of weight gain, but they often accompany it. However, diet drinks can directly cause other problems. Artificial sweeteners can play havoc with your blood sugar levels; the sweet causes your body to release insulin but then there is nothing to process and that causes your blood sugar to plummet. Once you hit bottom, you are going to need something to help you bounce back and too often, this is another sugary snack to help get your energy up fast. Unfortunately, this will generally start the cycle all over again.

Good old water may not be as sexy as all the new cool diet drinks, but it’s an original and I encourage you to give it a shot. Try drinking water as your primary beverage for a month. When you do this, pay attention to your nutritional intake; you may be surprised to find, after a day or two, many of your cravings will subside.

[Guest guest]

good article... what some econ people have found is the two things she brought up 1) called omitted variable issue - ie people who choose to drink diet soda have other unmeasured factors correlated with being overweight.not including in an analysis will bias all results.2) behavioral issues - people tend to have set "calorie budgets" ie they tend to eat a certain amount and so switching to low cal lets them to think they can eat more other areas. They have seen this with exercise and it causes weight gain - work out so can eat pizza..but really exercise only saved 200 cal but eat 500.. (I am guilty of this but WW helps)I have to find this paper and put in files but it is at work.. which I will not be at for couple month.From: Pink Pussycat <pinkpussycat@...> Sent: Tue, January 5, 2010 1:58:47 PMSubject: article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gain

12/31/2009

Ask Amy

I have never been given a straight answer so I wanted to ask you. Can drinking diet soda make you gain weight?

The answer is a definite “maybe.†Technically, drinking diet soda shouldn’t cause weight gain because there are no (or very low) calories. And weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Therefore, the answer should be “no.†However, numerous studies have shown a correlation between drinking diet drinks and gaining weight. One of the most recent studies looked at eight years of data and found a significant correlation to obesity risks from drinking diet soda versus than drinking regular soda. The study found that there was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day compared to a 31 percent increase seen by regular soda drinkers. So the answer should be “yes.â€

You can see how things get complicated. Part of the problem is that many people switch to diet drinks when they notice their weight starting to rise which can contribute to the correlation of increased weight and diet drinks. It’s also possible that because a diet drink has zero calories, some people will make worse food choices believing that the diet drink will help offset them.

Another reason people often gain weight on diet sodas is that the super sweetness of the artificial sweeteners may make your body subsequently crave more sweets. So while you may save a few calories by choosing a diet drink, those calories “lost†can be quickly regained by snacking from your neighbor’s candy bowl or hitting the vending machine. Some studies have even found individuals who consume diet drinks and diet foods may actually consume more calories throughout the day.

So in other words, diet drinks may not be the cause of weight gain, but they often accompany it. However, diet drinks can directly cause other problems. Artificial sweeteners can play havoc with your blood sugar levels; the sweet causes your body to release insulin but then there is nothing to process and that causes your blood sugar to plummet. Once you hit bottom, you are going to need something to help you bounce back and too often, this is another sugary snack to help get your energy up fast. Unfortunately, this will generally start the cycle all over again.

Good old water may not be as sexy as all the new cool diet drinks, but it’s an original and I encourage you to give it a shot. Try drinking water as your primary beverage for a month. When you do this, pay attention to your nutritional intake; you may be surprised to find, after a day or two, many of your cravings will subside.

[Guest guest]



I used to do that... I'd have a diet coke and a 3 Musketeers Bar! DH, who was DBF back then, thought it was hilarious and would ask if they canceled each other out. In my mind then, it worked. (Obviously, it doesn't though!)

article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gain Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:58 PM

12/31/2009

Ask Amy

I have never been given a straight answer so I wanted to ask you. Can drinking diet soda make you gain weight?

The answer is a definite “maybe.†Technically, drinking diet soda shouldn’t cause weight gain because there are no (or very low) calories. And weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Therefore, the answer should be “no.†However, numerous studies have shown a correlation between drinking diet drinks and gaining weight. One of the most recent studies looked at eight years of data and found a significant correlation to obesity risks from drinking diet soda versus than drinking regular soda. The study found that there was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day compared to a 31 percent increase seen by regular soda drinkers. So the answer should be “yes.â€

You can see how things get complicated. Part of the problem is that many people switch to diet drinks when they notice their weight starting to rise which can contribute to the correlation of increased weight and diet drinks. It’s also possible that because a diet drink has zero calories, some people will make worse food choices believing that the diet drink will help offset them.

Another reason people often gain weight on diet sodas is that the super sweetness of the artificial sweeteners may make your body subsequently crave more sweets. So while you may save a few calories by choosing a diet drink, those calories “lost†can be quickly regained by snacking from your neighbor’s candy bowl or hitting the vending machine. Some studies have even found individuals who consume diet drinks and diet foods may actually consume more calories throughout the day.

So in other words, diet drinks may not be the cause of weight gain, but they often accompany it. However, diet drinks can directly cause other problems. Artificial sweeteners can play havoc with your blood sugar levels; the sweet causes your body to release insulin but then there is nothing to process and that causes your blood sugar to plummet. Once you hit bottom, you are going to need something to help you bounce back and too often, this is another sugary snack to help get your energy up fast. Unfortunately, this will generally start the cycle all over again.

Good old water may not be as sexy as all the new cool diet drinks, but it’s an original and I encourage you to give it a shot. Try drinking water as your primary beverage for a month. When you do this, pay attention to your nutritional intake; you may be surprised to find, after a day or two, many of your cravings will subside.

[Guest guest]

very interesting we submitted a grant to study this behavior - -sadly not funded but it is something I think really occurs.. From: <nancydewolf@...> Sent: Tue, January 5, 2010 2:21:58 PMSubject: Re: article from health column at work re:

drinking diet soda and weight gain



I used to do that... I'd have a diet coke and a 3 Musketeers Bar! DH, who was DBF back then, thought it was hilarious and would ask if they canceled each other out. In my mind then, it worked. (Obviously, it doesn't though!)

article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gainDate: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:58 PM

12/31/2009

Ask Amy

I have never been given a straight answer so I wanted to ask you. Can drinking diet soda make you gain weight?

The answer is a definite “maybe.†Technically, drinking diet soda shouldn’t cause weight gain because there are no (or very low) calories. And weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Therefore, the answer should be “no.†However, numerous studies have shown a correlation between drinking diet drinks and gaining weight. One of the most recent studies looked at eight years of data and found a significant correlation to obesity risks from drinking diet soda versus than drinking regular soda. The study found that there was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day compared to a 31 percent increase seen by regular soda drinkers. So the answer should be “yes.â€

You can see how things get complicated. Part of the problem is that many people switch to diet drinks when they notice their weight starting to rise which can contribute to the correlation of increased weight and diet drinks. It’s also possible that because a diet drink has zero calories, some people will make worse food choices believing that the diet drink will help offset them.

Another reason people often gain weight on diet sodas is that the super sweetness of the artificial sweeteners may make your body subsequently crave more sweets. So while you may save a few calories by choosing a diet drink, those calories “lost†can be quickly regained by snacking from your neighbor’s candy bowl or hitting the vending machine. Some studies have even found individuals who consume diet drinks and diet foods may actually consume more calories throughout the day.

So in other words, diet drinks may not be the cause of weight gain, but they often accompany it. However, diet drinks can directly cause other problems. Artificial sweeteners can play havoc with your blood sugar levels; the sweet causes your body to release insulin but then there is nothing to process and that causes your blood sugar to plummet. Once you hit bottom, you are going to need something to help you bounce back and too often, this is another sugary snack to help get your energy up fast. Unfortunately, this will generally start the cycle all over again.

Good old water may not be as sexy as all the new cool diet drinks, but it’s an original and I encourage you to give it a shot. Try drinking water as your primary beverage for a month. When you do this, pay attention to your nutritional intake; you may be surprised to find, after a day or two, many of your cravings will subside.

[Guest guest]



I know it does! I'm anectodal evidence and I hear about it a lot in my WW meetings! Too bad you couldn't get the funding, it would be interesting.

article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gainDate: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:58 PM

12/31/2009

Ask Amy

I have never been given a straight answer so I wanted to ask you. Can drinking diet soda make you gain weight?

The answer is a definite “maybe.†Technically, drinking diet soda shouldn’t cause weight gain because there are no (or very low) calories. And weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Therefore, the answer should be “no.†However, numerous studies have shown a correlation between drinking diet drinks and gaining weight. One of the most recent studies looked at eight years of data and found a significant correlation to obesity risks from drinking diet soda versus than drinking regular soda. The study found that there was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day compared to a 31 percent increase seen by regular soda drinkers. So the answer should be “yes.â€

You can see how things get complicated. Part of the problem is that many people switch to diet drinks when they notice their weight starting to rise which can contribute to the correlation of increased weight and diet drinks. It’s also possible that because a diet drink has zero calories, some people will make worse food choices believing that the diet drink will help offset them.

Another reason people often gain weight on diet sodas is that the super sweetness of the artificial sweeteners may make your body subsequently crave more sweets. So while you may save a few calories by choosing a diet drink, those calories “lost†can be quickly regained by snacking from your neighbor’s candy bowl or hitting the vending machine. Some studies have even found individuals who consume diet drinks and diet foods may actually consume more calories throughout the day.

So in other words, diet drinks may not be the cause of weight gain, but they often accompany it. However, diet drinks can directly cause other problems. Artificial sweeteners can play havoc with your blood sugar levels; the sweet causes your body to release insulin but then there is nothing to process and that causes your blood sugar to plummet. Once you hit bottom, you are going to need something to help you bounce back and too often, this is another sugary snack to help get your energy up fast. Unfortunately, this will generally start the cycle all over again.

Good old water may not be as sexy as all the new cool diet drinks, but it’s an original and I encourage you to give it a shot. Try drinking water as your primary beverage for a month. When you do this, pay attention to your nutritional intake; you may be surprised to find, after a day or two, many of your cravings will subside.

[Guest guest]

I'm working on drinking less diet coke. It's hard when I use it more as a coffee substitute for it's caffeine rather than it's "sweetness." I don't drink coffee, I drink green tea. So my plan is to slowly replace diet coke with water, green tea and skim milk. So far I've cut down quite a bit. When I was on my 7 day cruise three years ago I only had 2 diet cokes that whole time so I know I can do it. Jen From: Pink Pussycat

<pinkpussycat@...>Subject: article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gain Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:58 PM

12/31/2009

Ask Amy

I have never been given a straight answer so I wanted to ask you. Can drinking diet soda make you gain weight?

The answer is a definite “maybe.†Technically, drinking diet soda shouldn’t cause weight gain because there are no (or very low) calories. And weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Therefore, the answer should be “no.†However, numerous studies have shown a correlation between drinking diet drinks and gaining weight. One of the most recent studies looked at eight years of data and found a significant correlation to obesity risks from drinking diet soda versus than drinking regular soda. The study found that there was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day compared to a 31 percent increase seen by regular soda drinkers. So the answer should be “yes.â€

You can see how things get complicated. Part of the problem is that many people switch to diet drinks when they notice their weight starting to rise which can contribute to the correlation of increased weight and diet drinks. It’s also possible that because a diet drink has zero calories, some people will make worse food choices believing that the diet drink will help offset them.

Another reason people often gain weight on diet sodas is that the super sweetness of the artificial sweeteners may make your body subsequently crave more sweets. So while you may save a few calories by choosing a diet drink, those calories “lost†can be quickly regained by snacking from your neighbor’s candy bowl or hitting the vending machine. Some studies have even found individuals who consume diet drinks and diet foods may actually consume more calories throughout the day.

So in other words, diet drinks may not be the cause of weight gain, but they often accompany it. However, diet drinks can directly cause other problems. Artificial sweeteners can play havoc with your blood sugar levels; the sweet causes your body to release insulin but then there is nothing to process and that causes your blood sugar to plummet. Once you hit bottom, you are going to need something to help you bounce back and too often, this is another sugary snack to help get your energy up fast. Unfortunately, this will generally start the cycle all over again.

Good old water may not be as sexy as all the new cool diet drinks, but it’s an original and I encourage you to give it a shot. Try drinking water as your primary beverage for a month. When you do this, pay attention to your nutritional intake; you may be surprised to find, after a day or two, many of your cravings will subside.

[Guest guest]

Good for you Jen, it's hard to stop the diet coke, but definitely worth it in the long run.

Andie

From: <volleyjen0416@...> Sent: Tue, January 5, 2010 11:03:34 PMSubject: Re: article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gain

I'm working on drinking less diet coke. It's hard when I use it more as a coffee substitute for it's caffeine rather than it's "sweetness." I don't drink coffee, I drink green tea. So my plan is to slowly replace diet coke with water, green tea and skim milk. So far I've cut down quite a bit. When I was on my 7 day cruise three years ago I only had 2 diet cokes that whole time so I know I can do it. Jen

From: Pink Pussycat <pinkpussycat@ pinkpussycatscor ner.com>Subject: article from health column at work re: drinking diet soda and weight gainDate: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:58 PM

12/31/2009

Ask Amy

I have never been given a straight answer so I wanted to ask you. Can drinking diet soda make you gain weight?

The answer is a definite “maybe.†Technically, drinking diet soda shouldn’t cause weight gain because there are no (or very low) calories. And weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Therefore, the answer should be “no.†However, numerous studies have shown a correlation between drinking diet drinks and gaining weight. One of the most recent studies looked at eight years of data and found a significant correlation to obesity risks from drinking diet soda versus than drinking regular soda. The study found that there was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day compared to a 31 percent increase seen by regular soda drinkers. So the answer should be “yes.â€

You can see how things get complicated. Part of the problem is that many people switch to diet drinks when they notice their weight starting to rise which can contribute to the correlation of increased weight and diet drinks. It’s also possible that because a diet drink has zero calories, some people will make worse food choices believing that the diet drink will help offset them.

Another reason people often gain weight on diet sodas is that the super sweetness of the artificial sweeteners may make your body subsequently crave more sweets. So while you may save a few calories by choosing a diet drink, those calories “lost†can be quickly regained by snacking from your neighbor’s candy bowl or hitting the vending machine. Some studies have even found individuals who consume diet drinks and diet foods may actually consume more calories throughout the day.

So in other words, diet drinks may not be the cause of weight gain, but they often accompany it. However, diet drinks can directly cause other problems. Artificial sweeteners can play havoc with your blood sugar levels; the sweet causes your body to release insulin but then there is nothing to process and that causes your blood sugar to plummet. Once you hit bottom, you are going to need something to help you bounce back and too often, this is another sugary snack to help get your energy up fast. Unfortunately, this will generally start the cycle all over again.

Good old water may not be as sexy as all the new cool diet drinks, but it’s an original and I encourage you to give it a shot. Try drinking water as your primary beverage for a month. When you do this, pay attention to your nutritional intake; you may be surprised to find, after a day or two, many of your cravings will subside.

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