Diet Soda Linked To Weight Gain

Diet soda might not help you stay trim after all, new research suggests.

A study presented at a American Diabetes Association meeting this week shows that drinking diet soda is associated with a wider waist in humans. And a second study shows that aspartame -- an artificial sweetener in diet soda -- actually raises blood sugar in mice prone to diabetes.

"Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised," study researcher Helen P. Hazuda, Ph.D., a professor and chief of clinical epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio's School of Medicine, said in a statement. "They may be free of calories but not of consequences."

In the first study, researchers collected height, weight, waist circumference and diet soda intake data from 474 elderly people who participated in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging. They were followed up an average of 9.5 years later, according to the research.

Researchers found that the diet soda drinkers had waist circumference increases of 70 percent greater than those who non-diet soda drinkers. And people who drank diet soda the most frequently -- at least two diet sodas a day -- had waist circumference increases that were 500 percent greater than people who didn't drink any diet soda, the study said.

Artificial sugar didn't produce any better results in the second study in mice. Researchers for this study found that diabetes-prone mice that were fed a diet that included aspartame for three months, had higher blood glucose levels than mice not given aspartame.

This isn't the first news illuminating diet soda's health risks. A study published earlier this year found people who drink the beverage every day have a higher stroke and heart attack risks. And UK researchers found earlier this month that sugary drinks can dull taste buds, leading consumers to crave the sweet stuff even more.

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Comments

[Barbara Saunders]

12:49 AM on 08/26/2011

A can of soda with sugar in it is 250 calories. The best nutritional choice? No. Will the occasional soda (NOT a six pack per day or even per week) lead to obesity? No. Biochemistry aside, it reflects an odd relationship with food that we would aim to purge a food that is fine as an occasional treat and replace it with a no-calorie version we can guzzle by the gallon every day.

[JulieMarie Demers]

12:40 AM on 07/22/2011

ok, so is it better to drink regular soda.. Diabetics cannot drink fruit juice because it is full of sugar, so what is left, just water.. quetion mark)

[Valerie Cuevas]

02:11 PM on 07/17/2011

The problem is it's not just soda there are so many products that claim to be fat free these days it's so pathetic!! Sugar is fat so I don't know how something that has over 20 grams of sugar be fat free lol!! Yoplait yogurt is the worst at that claiming to be healthy!! that stuff is crap! Doing the Hcg diet over a year ago I really learned a lot about how fat works and how to pick out food. Plus losing 30 lbs in 1 month was pretty nice too!! for info on this diet you can go to www.hcgplan.net I have completely changed my life and found some amazing alternatives so that I can eat and enjoy all the food I love!

[Razwell R]

09:15 AM on 07/17/2011

The caloric hypothesis is dead. It is far too simple to explain the hellish complexity of obesity. Please visit my blog for the work of Dr. Jeffrey Friedman.

Science has recently discovered many new things connected to obesity - NONE of these new things are behavioral.

We do not understand the chemical regulation of fat cell receptors. We do not understand the full biochemical explanation of the regulation of fat cells.

Caloriesin/calories out is DOGMA. There are many things it does not address. Fuel partitioning for one thing.

[Barbara Saunders]

12:44 AM on 08/26/2011

Another problem is that calories out is impossible for a would-be dieter to measure, given variation in resting metabolic rate, response to a particular exercise bout, etc. That display on the Stairmaster won't do it!

[Steve Ritch]

11:52 AM on 07/11/2011

I would be interested to find out if these individual's gained weight as a result of eating more calories since they thought their caloric intake was lessened by drinking diet soda. I have lost over 80 pounds since my diabetes diagnosis (over 1 year ago) and I drink diet soda daily. As far as craving sweets-if you don't eat sugar and lower your refined carb intake, then drinking a diet soda doesn't really cause a problem. I think, for diabetics, good common sense, a decent diet high in green leafy veggies, smaller more frequent meals, and a daily exercise routine are key in maintaining your blood sugar. Diet soda is not an issue for me; if I am going to drink a soda (and I am) then, it is going to be diet!

[MIKEinNYC]

10:39 AM on 07/09/2011

Ever stand in line at a food counter and see a chubsy-wubsy with a tray full of fattening foods and a diet drink as the single solitary concession to sensible eating?

[richusaf64]

07:37 PM on 07/05/2011

Interesting, but sometimes scientists get cause and effect confused. San Antonio has already been identified as a city with a high percent of overweight people as well as diabetics. Is it because of diet soda? The reality is S.A. has a high percent of Hispanic residents who eat lots of Mexican foods that are not healthy but do taste good. I imagine many drink diet sodas, but it's the other part of their diet that effects overweight condition.

[mbkeefer]

04:50 PM on 07/05/2011

They compared diet soda drinkers against non diet drinkers and found that people who drank diet soda gained more weight. Who drinks diet soda? People with WEIGHT PROBLEMS! A really stupid study.
Taste recepters in the stomach trigger insulin release on detecting sweet. These recepters also respond to aspertame. So the body thinks it getting fed sugar and reacts accordingly.

[fnygy]

01:24 PM on 07/04/2011

Loads of chemicals in water. Poison, to my mind.

[Stephanie Elise]

10:03 PM on 07/02/2011

Its called filtered H20 or pure rain water. People worried about their weight will like the fact that it is not only sugar free, but also, calorie free too.

Who would have thought ?

[DrP]

05:14 PM on 07/01/2011

Just realized on my previous post I said that the taste of something sweet can trigger insulin resistance. I meant to type "insulin release."

[DrP]

05:10 PM on 07/01/2011

True, but I can't believe that scientists don't understand why diet soda and artificial sweeteners still cause weight gain. It is not because people then crave sweets and eat more. Puhleeeze...
The reason for this is that it is insulin that causes fat storage and prevents fat release and people who have insulin-resistance (about 75% of us to some degree) can experience an insulin resistance based on a sweet taste.

[KarasudaJay]

05:09 PM on 07/01/2011

Costco had some Coke from Mexico with real sugar in it, that was pretty good. Other than that, I'm a water, milk, or coffee guy most days. I'd drink more juice, but worry about downing a half-gallon of OJ and all of its sugar in a day which would be bad.

[Pitbull57]

04:37 AM on 07/01/2011

Its main ingredient is ASPARTAME PEOPLE

[bagelmaven]

03:08 PM on 07/02/2011

I adore Splenda....I am absoutely addicated to it. A friend of mine suggested it when her diabetic uncle's doctor suggested it to him. I have old age type 2 diabetes in my family so when I discovered Splenda it was like finding gold. I cannot have cereal, fruit or coffee without a sweet taste and sugar is out of the question. I have restricted my diet for over 20 years to very very healthy like whole grains, fruits, some nuts, seeds, beans and a very little bit of salmon or chicken. So my diet and my calorie intake if very carefully monitored but it is Splenda I absolutely cannot give up. What should i do?

[fnygy]

01:23 PM on 07/04/2011

Try stevia. It's a natural sweetener that comes from the stevia root. You can get it in powder or liquid form and it has no glycemic load. Much better than splenda which, as I understand it, is chlorinated (!) You can get it at Whole Foods or any natural food store.

[Kristin Talbott]

10:40 PM on 06/30/2011

I drink a little diet soda these days, but far less than I used to.

Years ago I would routinely down four or five cans before even going to work, and then continue drinking it throughout the day.

Now my tastes have changed significantly; I prefer not feeling bloated, headachey and constantly thirsty so I mostly drink water, supplemented by coffee, herbal teas, and mineral water (adult beverages are a separate issue). If I do get a craving for soda, I drink a couple glasses of water and it usually goes away. If not, I'll go ahead and get the soda but more and more often it just sits there after a few sips. It just doesn't taste good to me any more. And if I ever liked sugared sodas, I sure don't remember. I know they don't taste good to me now either.