New study - diet soda better than water for weight loss

Rocky791

Don't really care since I don't drink it, but I find it funny when people dismiss studies by the funding source. Dismissing by funding source alone is usually the first sign that someone doesn't really understand the science involved

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v38/n5/full/ijo201432a.html

Unfortunately, eric--what the article doesn't discuss is the number of "scientists" who are willing to prostitute themselves for always just a little bit more funding. Science isn't what it used to be when the vast majority of funding came from non-commercial interests. Sorry to disillusion you but the deep pockets rule in the realm of medical science today--probably not so much in other fields of science. Although I had a Ph.D. in chemistry once say to me that, "For the right amount of funding, the question often becomes, 'What do you want this study to show?' " Believe that for the few who are caught there are many others who get away with it--until the next study comes along that appears to contradict that study. And then no one knows what to believe. :frown:

yep - where there is money there is corruption.

Swiftlet66

That's like tobacco companies funding a study that says people are more likely to find a person sexually attractive if they smoke.

+1

Nedra19455

It neither surprises me, nor changes my behavior. I don't interpret the study as saying that diet soda is better than water for weight loss, but rather that water alone isn't as good for weight loss as a variety of beverages. I skimmed the article, but was the total amount of fluids controlled for? It would not surprise me at all if the diet soda drinkers drank more fluids overall, since they were probably drinking soda AND water. And variety is the spice of life. If the control group was drinking fewer fluids than the soda group, then I am not surprised at all that they lost weight.

It will make very little difference for most people. If you are a soda drinker, then you will probably keep drinking soda. If you think diet soda is gross, then you won't start drinking it now just because of this study. The only people who it will have an effect on are the people who were swayed by the (iffy) studies that came out awhile back saying that diet soda hinders weight loss.

TadaGanIarracht

It isn't totally unfathomable.

fatcity66

The results of a new study published in the journal Obesity imply that diet soda is a more effective weight loss tool than water. The findings are controversial, and what is more, the study was funded by the American Beverage Association.

Go!

Well, cancer does cause a loss of appetite...

Veryme

The answer is in your paragraph ( funding source). But also sweetener are really bad for insulin signaling. I am also not sure about bubbles and kidneys. You know, it is like smokers lose weight sometimes too. Who needs this? I drink soda one iin a 6 month or so.

mimi14fun

:noway:

MaidensAndMonsters

I'm thinking it's total BS. My core beliefs about food and our bodies in general is that natural things are best. That being said, I love me some Coke Zero. Fill er' up!

tracydr

I do find bubbly beverages fill me up so I sometimes have them instead of a snack. I usually pick a flavored sparkling water.

Michelle2W

I don't drink them. They can't be good for you!

snazzyjazzy21

I don't drink them. They can't be good for you!

Why not?

TadaGanIarracht

Mmm, Diet Coke.

So, what's the topic here?

wheird

I am ready to believe this.

mfp2014mfp

A study funded by me* suggests you will all live much happier lives if you send me your candy, cakes and lollies.

* Study has a sample size of one.

:flowerforyou:

TadaGanIarracht

I know plenty who drink diet beverages and have lost weight. More importantly, they have kept it off. They also lived happy, healthy, full lives.

albertabeefy

I've read the study - because I enjoy that sort of thing. (Heck, It's a huge part of my job and I still enjoy it ... Yeah, I'm odd...)

FYI neither of the groups was tracking calories, nor was there any attempt made by the researchers at ensuring similar caloric deficits among both groups.

As such, for whatever reason, the group drinking diet soda had an overall greater caloric deficit than the other group. Much like the majority of dieters that restrict any other food group (without any real compelling reason to do so), those that were required to "give up" diet soda were less successful than those that weren't.

This doesn't mean diet soda makes you lose weight faster than water, it may mean that restricting food groups unnecessarily makes you less-successful at weight-loss.

BTW the study didn't actually conclude diet soda was superior for weight loss ... the study simply concluded water wasn't superior to diet soda.

FunkyTobias

I like how so many of you are ready to dismiss the study (or accept it, for that matter),

Full-text here:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.20737/full

mfp2014mfp

I like how so many of you are ready to dismiss the study (or accept it, for that matter),

Full-text here:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.20737/full

All I need to read is right here:
Funding Agencies: The study was fully funded by The American Beverage Association.
Disclosure: JCP, JOH received consulting fees from The Coca-Cola Company outside of the submitted work. The remaining co-authors declared no conflict of interest.

FunkyTobias

I've read the study - because I enjoy that sort of thing. (Heck, It's a huge part of my job and I still enjoy it ... Yeah, I'm odd...)

FYI neither of the groups was tracking calories, nor was there any attempt made by the researchers at ensuring similar caloric deficits among both groups.

As such, for whatever reason, the group drinking diet soda had an overall greater caloric deficit than the other group. Much like the majority of dieters that restrict any other food group (without any real compelling reason to do so), those that were required to "give up" diet soda were less successful than those that weren't.

This doesn't mean diet soda makes you lose weight faster than water, it means restricting food groups unnecessarily makes you less-successful at weight-loss.

That was my take as well. However, there may be other factors at play. For example, many diet sodas contain caffeine, which is a mild thermogenic and (perhaps more importantly) anorectic. The participants in this study reported less hunger in the diet soda group than the water group, and the caffeine quite possibly played a role.

FunkyTobias

I like how so many of you are ready to dismiss the study (or accept it, for that matter),

Full-text here:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.20737/full

All I need to read is right here:
Funding Agencies: The study was fully funded by The American Beverage Association.
Disclosure: JCP, JOH received consulting fees from The Coca-Cola Company outside of the submitted work. The remaining co-authors declared no conflict of interest.

Then you don't understand how to evaluate scientific literature. Funding source can sometimes introduce bias, so it is a valid reason to scrutinize the methodology and conclusions, but not to dismiss the study outright.