fake sugars and weight gain?

minipony

Here is a trusted source from Medscape, the medical journal published by Stanford Medical Center. The study basically says not sure, but what are people's experiences or medical knowledge on this subject?

With regard to sweetener use for weight control, currently available data are contradictory. Some studies show that sweetener consumption is associated with weight gain; however, there are important confounding factors in these studies, and we cannot currently establish a causal relationship and thus cannot conclude that sweeteners are related to weight gain. Conversely, we also cannot conclude that substituting sugar with sweeteners leads to weight loss. Therefore, there may be no risk for weight gain, but also no benefit in terms of weight loss.

paperpudding

My experience is that I drink several glasses of fake sugar drinks (aka diet coke or Pepsi Max) per week and this has not impacted on my weight loss or later my weight maitenance at all.

Kalici

I drink aspartame all day everyday. I've lost 80 pounds while doing so.

lemurcat12

Makes no difference for me. Sometimes I drink diet soda, sometimes I don't. I don't have a harder time dieting or lose better under either situation. (I also never drank much regular soda, as I switched as a teen and back then kids didn't drink unlimited soda or much at all, IME.)

Also, the theories about weight gain or loss assume that you don't track calories. People who say it helps for weight loss mean that switching out something like soda (with lots of calories) for no calorie diet soda will lead to a cut in calories. That's true if you are tracking and don't replace the calories or naturally don't replace them, but many people do replace them if not tracking, especially over time. For me it makes sense as an easy way to cut calories, since I find drinking calories less filling or satisfying than eating them, but people differ.

The weight gain theories are more that artificial sweeteners cause cravings. I don't think the evidence for that is all that strong--it's really just a theory for which there is no need (it's just as possible that there's a correlation between being fat and drinking diet because many, especially men, wouldn't bother with diet if your weight is fine or if you don't really drink soda anyway)--but even if it were true for some that wouldn't make it true for everyone. I've experimented and drinking diet soda doesn't make me crave sweets. Nor did it ever make me unable to appreciate the sweetness in a carrot or non-sweet foods (I greatly preferred drier wines and plenty of greens many perceive as bitter, etc., while also enjoying the occasional diet Coke). In any event, this assumes that you end up eating more calories due to the diet soda, so if you track you can tell if you are or not.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I put splenda in my coffee and drink diet soda. I am not overweight and have been able to lose weight in the past.

earth_echo

I've been consuming fake sugars for 20+ years. In all that time, I've never noticed any adverse effects whatsoever. Not with weight, not with health, not with any thing.

jazzy550

I've heard that drinking too many diet products gives women "soda gut". I know when I was in my early twenties you did not see girls with bellies the way you see them today. It's a phenomena that supposedly is attributed to overprocessed food and diet soda.

neanderthin

jazzy550 wrote: »

I've heard that drinking too many diet products gives women "soda gut". I know when I was in my early twenties you did not see girls with bellies the way you see them today. It's a phenomena that supposedly is attributed to overprocessed food and diet soda.

I see that body shape, relatively thin, with a spare tire more frequently as well, which I never saw 20 years ago, but it's not because of 0 calorie drinks.

queenliz99

jazzy550 wrote: »

I've heard that drinking too many diet products gives women "soda gut". I know when I was in my early twenties you did not see girls with bellies the way you see them today. It's a phenomena that supposedly is attributed to overprocessed food and diet soda.

Eating too much or not moving enough.

queenliz99

I have consumed diet drinks for twenty plus years and it has had zero effect on my health.

ninerbuff

Many people who read studies about correlation think that that is proof. The truth is that consuming something that's zero calories doesn't increase someone's weight by itself.
People gain water weight from exercise, high sodium consumption, and glycogen storage. Yet water has zero calories.
The main association is hear with zero calorie drinks is that fat people drink them hence it makes people fat.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Sparlingo

My completely anecdotal evidence is this: I drink probably 3-4 cans of diet coke a week, and had no difficulty going from obese to a healthy weight.

JPW1990

Chances are if your diet is filled with low-fat and sugar-free foods and drinks marketed towards weight loss, you're retaining extra water with every meal you eat, because they add salt to make up for the lack of flavor. There's no shortage of other reasons to leave them out (migraines, GERD, enamel erosion, diarrhea - hello gummy bears), but the sweeteners themselves aren't making you fat.

minipony

Thank you everyone! First hand accounts are way better then convoluted studies in my opinion. I'll continue to use stevia then and chew occasional gum. I don't drink carbination or sodas at all. I just consume diet cocoa, stevia, some artificial sweetened coffee additives and that's about it. Yay! I was hoping to hear what y'all said

cwolfman13

minipony wrote: »

Here is a trusted source from Medscape, the medical journal published by Stanford Medical Center. The study basically says not sure, but what are people's experiences or medical knowledge on this subject?

With regard to sweetener use for weight control, currently available data are contradictory. Some studies show that sweetener consumption is associated with weight gain; however, there are important confounding factors in these studies, and we cannot currently establish a causal relationship and thus cannot conclude that sweeteners are related to weight gain. Conversely, we also cannot conclude that substituting sugar with sweeteners leads to weight loss. Therefore, there may be no risk for weight gain, but also no benefit in terms of weight loss.

Because CICO...

paperpudding

JPW1990 wrote: »

Chances are if your diet is filled with low-fat and sugar-free foods and drinks marketed towards weight loss, you're retaining extra water with every meal you eat, because they add salt to make up for the lack of flavor. There's no shortage of other reasons to leave them out (migraines, GERD, enamel erosion, diarrhea - hello gummy bears), but the sweeteners themselves aren't making you fat.

This issue about added salt comes up all the time - and yet diet sodas do not have more salt than most other drinks.
Issues like migraines and diarrhoea are only an issue if they are an issue for you individually.
Diet soda does not give me either so I happily continue to consume it.

JPW1990

paperpudding wrote: »

JPW1990 wrote: »

Chances are if your diet is filled with low-fat and sugar-free foods and drinks marketed towards weight loss, you're retaining extra water with every meal you eat, because they add salt to make up for the lack of flavor. There's no shortage of other reasons to leave them out (migraines, GERD, enamel erosion, diarrhea - hello gummy bears), but the sweeteners themselves aren't making you fat.

This issue about added salt comes up all the time - and yet diet sodas do not have more salt than most other drinks.
Issues like migraines and diarrhoea are only an issue if they are an issue for you individually.
Diet soda does not give me either so I happily continue to consume it.

Funny, I don't see anywhere I mentioned diet soda.

paperpudding

Well that is what people were posting about.

And is the claim often (and incorrectly) claimed.

The other points about migraines, diarrhoea etc would apply to all artificially sweetened products, not just drinks - ie unless they cause an individual these problems, there is no need to limit them.

JPW1990

paperpudding wrote: »

Well that is what people were posting about.

And is the claim often (and incorrectly) claimed.

The other points about migraines, diarrhoea etc would apply to all artificially sweetened products, not just drinks - ie unless they cause an individual these problems, there is no need to limit them.

I guess I wasn't clear enough last time - my entire post related to all artificially sweetened products, whether it's weight watchers deserts or lean cuisines or diet lipton's. It was in response directly to the OP. Honestly, I don't give a rat's if anyone chooses to use them or not, but it seems for some it's nearly a religion to deny that anything might possibly have any possible bad side effects.

minipony

I have a really bad sweet tooth. I agree with the other post about it causing water retention. Often I do feel like I'm retaining water. If and when I want something sweet, if I don't have a low cal option like diet hot cocoa I usually end up making a bad choice and then eat too much of it.