Diet Pop!

jpeterburs88

Hey, I saw this article and thought it was interesting... I always knew that diet pop wasnt good for you, but I figured since it was calorie-free it was ok....
Lately I have been trying to stay away from it completely... and i definetly think after reading this that I will!!

http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/blogs/2011/lifestyle/is-diet-soda-making-you-fat/?cmpid=FCST_hero_hot

ttrotter1960

Sodas = Evil

astilson33

Yes, I heard the same thing. Even with the little crystal light pouch things that you can just add to your water that I used to LOVE! I heard anything with Aspartame in it causes belly fat, among other things.

nightangelstars

I didn't see them outline this specifically in the article, but what I was given to understand is that the sweet taste triggers your body to release insulin (for the nonexistent fake sugar), the insulin reduces your blood sugar levels and stores away your glucose, and on top of that, the drop in blood glucose triggers an increase in appetite. This makes me really glad that I've never been able to tolerate the nasty aftertaste of artificial sweeteners and so don't drink or eat anything made with it.

DanaKinzer

Fake sugar is bad, bad, BAD for you! It is even worse for you than real sugar is.

HMonsterX

Fake sugar is bad, bad, BAD for you! It is even worse for you than real sugar is.

Your evidence for that statement?

Let's face it. Everything is bad for you in some way. Its up to use to pick which of the things we use. Sure, if you drink too much diet soda, or too much regular soda, or too much water, its bad for you. Just keep everything in moderation...

RangerSteve

I took this straight from the article:

"For one study, researchers at the center followed 474 diet soda drinkers, 65 to 74 years of age, for almost 10 years. They found that diet soda drinkers' waists grew 70 percent more than non-drinkers. Specifically, drinking two or more diet sodas a day busted belt sizes five times more than people who avoided the stuff entirely."


What we need to keep in mind when reading articles like this is causation and correlation. Just because something correlates, doesn't mean it causes. There was a study a few years back that I was reading that said men who don't shave every morning had a 30% chance of dying at a younger age than those who did shave every morning. Obviously, shaving doesn't cause people to live longer but the lifestyle associated with those who don't take time to groom themselves (probably more lazy people?) results in a lifestyle that would statistically be shorter.

With this article, is diet soda actually causing the weight gain or is it a piece of a less healthy lifestyle? That's the question you should be asking. Diet soda may have an insulin response but that isn't going to matter that much if you're still using more calories than you're taking in. It also won't matter if you are eating fiber filled foods along with that diet soda since that will completely change the insulin response in itself. Always take these studies with a grain of salt.

carpediem3

Yes, I heard the same thing. Even with the little crystal light pouch things that you can just add to your water that I used to LOVE! I heard anything with Aspartame in it causes belly fat, among other things.

I stay away from Aspartame after reading about it, but I do still buy the crystal light packets with Stevia
Oh and pop is a no-no in my diet...period.

Lleldiranne

I took this straight from the article:

"For one study, researchers at the center followed 474 diet soda drinkers, 65 to 74 years of age, for almost 10 years. They found that diet soda drinkers' waists grew 70 percent more than non-drinkers. Specifically, drinking two or more diet sodas a day busted belt sizes five times more than people who avoided the stuff entirely."


What we need to keep in mind when reading articles like this is causation and correlation. Just because something correlates, doesn't mean it causes. There was a study a few years back that I was reading that said men who don't shave every morning had a 30% chance of dying at a younger age than those who did shave every morning. Obviously, shaving doesn't cause people to live longer but the lifestyle associated with those who don't take time to groom themselves (probably more lazy people?) results in a lifestyle that would statistically be shorter.

With this article, is diet soda actually causing the weight gain or is it a piece of a less healthy lifestyle? That's the question you should be asking. Diet soda may have an insulin response but that isn't going to matter that much if you're still using more calories than you're taking in. It also won't matter if you are eating fiber filled foods along with that diet soda since that will completely change the insulin response in itself. Always take these studies with a grain of salt.

Thank you.

And yes, soda (any type) is not good for you. But it doesn't make it toxic either. If it weren't for my Crystal Light add-in packs I would struggle to get enough water every day. I say benefits outweigh costs in this case (I usually only have 1 a day, but it makes a difference in how much water I take in).

Sugar sub's are a LOADED topic (just like low-carb diets and eating back your exercise calories). Most people have a strong opinion of them and are unlikely to change. Here's hoping we can all be civil in this discussion

SoCalSwimmerDude

Blah... this again?