Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...le701408.shtml

Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight
June 13, 2005


People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they
gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P.
Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science
Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual
meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to
overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was
when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of
obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they
found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet
sodas.

"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," Fowler
says.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550
Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of
the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning
of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or
obese was:
26 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


30.4 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


32.8 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


47.2 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese
was:
36.5 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


37.5 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


54.5 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


57.1 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of
obesity went up 41 percent.

Diet Soda No Smoking Gun

Fowler is quick to note that a study of this kind does not prove that
diet soda causes obesity. More likely, she says, it shows that
something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity.

"One possible part of the explanation is that people who see they are
beginning to gain weight may be more likely to switch from regular to
diet soda," Fowler suggests. "But despite their switching, their
weight may continue to grow for other reasons. So diet soft-drink use
is a marker for overweight and obesity."

Why? Nutrition expert Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, puts it in a nutshell.

"You have to look at what's on your plate, not just what's in your
glass," Bonci tells WebMD.

People often mistake diet drinks for diets, says Bonci, director of
sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and
nutrition consultant to college and professional sports teams and to
the Pittsburgh Ballet.

"A lot of people say, 'I am drinking a diet soft drink because that is
better for me. But soft drinks by themselves are not the root of
America's obesity problem," she says. "You can't go into a fast-food
restaurant and say, 'Oh, it's OK because I had diet soda.' If you
don't do anything else but switch to a diet soft drink, you are not
going to lose weight."


The Mad Hatter Theory

"Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
"I've had nothing yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't
take more."
"You mean you can't take less," said the Hatter: "It's very easy to
take more than nothing."
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

There is actually a way that diet drinks could contribute to weight
gain, Fowler suggests.
She remembers being struck by the scene in Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland in which Alice is offended because she is offered tea but
is given none — even though she hadn't asked for tea in the first
place. So she helps herself to tea and bread and butter.

That may be just what happens when we offer our bodies the sweet taste
of diet drinks, but give them no calories. Fowler points to a recent
study in which feeding artificial sweeteners to rat pups made them
crave more calories than animals fed real sugar.

"If you offer your body something that tastes like a lot of calories,
but it isn't there, your body is alerted to the possibility that there
is something there and it will search for the calories promised but
not delivered," Fowler says.

Perhaps, Bonci says, our bodies are smarter than we think.

"People think they can just fool the body. But maybe the body isn't
fooled," she says. "If you are not giving your body those calories you
promised it, maybe your body will retaliate by wanting more calories.
Some soft drink studies do suggest that diet drinks stimulate
appetite."

Sources: Fowler, S.P. 65th Annual Scientific Sessions, American
Diabetes Association, San Diego, June 10-14, 2005; Abstract 1058-P.
Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, University of Texas Health Science Center
School of Medicine, San Antonio. Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director,
sports nutrition, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. WebMD News:
"Artificial Sweeteners May Damage Diet Efforts." Davidson, T.L.
International Journal of Obesity, July 2004; vol 28: pp 933-955.

"Ilena Rose" wrote in message
...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...le701408.shtml

Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight
June 13, 2005


People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they
gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P.
Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science
Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual
meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to
overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was
when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of
obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they
found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet
sodas.

"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," Fowler
says.

Wow, I have a 246% risk of being overweight.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550
Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of
the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning
of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or
obese was:
26 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


30.4 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


32.8 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


47.2 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese
was:
36.5 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


37.5 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


54.5 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


57.1 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of
obesity went up 41 percent.

Diet Soda No Smoking Gun

Fowler is quick to note that a study of this kind does not prove that
diet soda causes obesity. More likely, she says, it shows that
something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity.

Yeah, like people who are gaining weight start to drink diet soda.

It makes one wonder how much fatter the people who be if they didn't drink
diet soda.

Jeff

"One possible part of the explanation is that people who see they are
beginning to gain weight may be more likely to switch from regular to
diet soda," Fowler suggests. "But despite their switching, their
weight may continue to grow for other reasons. So diet soft-drink use
is a marker for overweight and obesity."

Why? Nutrition expert Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, puts it in a nutshell.

"You have to look at what's on your plate, not just what's in your
glass," Bonci tells WebMD.

People often mistake diet drinks for diets, says Bonci, director of
sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and
nutrition consultant to college and professional sports teams and to
the Pittsburgh Ballet.

"A lot of people say, 'I am drinking a diet soft drink because that is
better for me. But soft drinks by themselves are not the root of
America's obesity problem," she says. "You can't go into a fast-food
restaurant and say, 'Oh, it's OK because I had diet soda.' If you
don't do anything else but switch to a diet soft drink, you are not
going to lose weight."


The Mad Hatter Theory

"Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
"I've had nothing yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't
take more."
"You mean you can't take less," said the Hatter: "It's very easy to
take more than nothing."
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

There is actually a way that diet drinks could contribute to weight
gain, Fowler suggests.
She remembers being struck by the scene in Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland in which Alice is offended because she is offered tea but
is given none - even though she hadn't asked for tea in the first
place. So she helps herself to tea and bread and butter.

That may be just what happens when we offer our bodies the sweet taste
of diet drinks, but give them no calories. Fowler points to a recent
study in which feeding artificial sweeteners to rat pups made them
crave more calories than animals fed real sugar.

"If you offer your body something that tastes like a lot of calories,
but it isn't there, your body is alerted to the possibility that there
is something there and it will search for the calories promised but
not delivered," Fowler says.

Perhaps, Bonci says, our bodies are smarter than we think.

"People think they can just fool the body. But maybe the body isn't
fooled," she says. "If you are not giving your body those calories you
promised it, maybe your body will retaliate by wanting more calories.
Some soft drink studies do suggest that diet drinks stimulate
appetite."

Sources: Fowler, S.P. 65th Annual Scientific Sessions, American
Diabetes Association, San Diego, June 10-14, 2005; Abstract 1058-P.
Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, University of Texas Health Science Center
School of Medicine, San Antonio. Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director,
sports nutrition, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. WebMD News:
"Artificial Sweeteners May Damage Diet Efforts." Davidson, T.L.
International Journal of Obesity, July 2004; vol 28: pp 933-955.

"Jeff" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Ilena Rose" wrote in message
...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...le701408.shtml

Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight
June 13, 2005


People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they
gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P.
Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science
Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual
meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to
overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was
when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of
obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they
found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet
sodas.

"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," Fowler
says.

Wow, I have a 246% risk of being overweight.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550
Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of
the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning
of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or
obese was:
26 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


30.4 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


32.8 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


47.2 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese
was:
36.5 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


37.5 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


54.5 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


57.1 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of
obesity went up 41 percent.

Diet Soda No Smoking Gun

Fowler is quick to note that a study of this kind does not prove that
diet soda causes obesity. More likely, she says, it shows that
something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity.

Yeah, like people who are gaining weight start to drink diet soda.

It makes one wonder how much fatter the people who be if they didn't drink
diet soda.

Jeff

Yeah, those rice cakes make people fat, too. You never see skinny people
eating them.

--Rich

Rich wrote:
"Jeff" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Ilena Rose" wrote in message
. ..

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...le701408.shtml

Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight
June 13, 2005


People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they
gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P.
Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science
Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual
meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to
overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was
when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of
obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they
found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet
sodas.

"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," Fowler
says.

Wow, I have a 246% risk of being overweight.


More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550
Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of
the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning
of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or
obese was:
26 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


30.4 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


32.8 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


47.2 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese
was:
36.5 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


37.5 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


54.5 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


57.1 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of
obesity went up 41 percent.

Diet Soda No Smoking Gun

Fowler is quick to note that a study of this kind does not prove that
diet soda causes obesity. More likely, she says, it shows that
something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity.

Yeah, like people who are gaining weight start to drink diet soda.

It makes one wonder how much fatter the people who be if they didn't drink
diet soda.

Jeff


Yeah, those rice cakes make people fat, too. You never see skinny people
eating them.

There are those who feel that they can substitute a slike of chocolate
fudge cake because they drink diet soda.

"Ilena Rose" wrote in message
...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...le701408.shtml

Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight
June 13, 2005


People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they
gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P.
Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science
Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual
meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to
overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was
when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of
obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they
found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet
sodas.

"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," Fowler
says.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550
Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of
the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning
of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or
obese was:
26 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


30.4 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


32.8 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


47.2 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese
was:
36.5 percent for up to 1/2 can each day


37.5 percent for 1/2 to one can each day


54.5 percent for 1 to 2 cans each day


57.1 percent for more than 2 cans each day.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of
obesity went up 41 percent.

Diet Soda No Smoking Gun

Fowler is quick to note that a study of this kind does not prove that
diet soda causes obesity. More likely, she says, it shows that
something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity.

"One possible part of the explanation is that people who see they are
beginning to gain weight may be more likely to switch from regular to
diet soda," Fowler suggests. "But despite their switching, their
weight may continue to grow for other reasons. So diet soft-drink use
is a marker for overweight and obesity."

We should applaud this very responsible bit of journalism, unusual in the
reporting of health matters. . Most rags would be announcing "diet soda
causes obesity", ignoring such very likely confounding influences.

Peter Moran