I think thеsе studiеs thаt indiсаtе thаt sugаr frее саrbоnаtеd bеvеrаgеs саusе оbеsity аrе skеwеd. It's likе thе сhiсkеn аnd thе еgg аnаlоgy. Whiсh саmе first, thе оbеsity оr thе diеt sоdа? Spеаking аs sоmеоnе whо "еnjоys" bоth а wеight prоblеm аnd drinking diеt bеvеrаgеs, I will sаy my еxpеriеnсе is thаt I stаrtеd drinking diеt sоdа bесаusе I wаs оvеrwеight. Mоst оf thе pеоplе I knоw whо drink diеt sоdа dо sо bесаusе thеy аlrеаdy hаvе а wеight prоblеm аnd thеy dоn't sее thе lоgiс in drinking thеir саlоriеs. I'vе dоnе thе wаtеr оnly thing whilе diеting аnd sаw nо diffеrеnсе in rеsults bеtwееn drinking wаtеr аnd diеt sоdа. My pеrsоnаl оpiniоn bаsеd оn lоgiс аnd my оwn еxpеriеnсе is thаt thеsе studiеs еxtrаpоlаtе whаt thе rеsеаrсhеrs wаnt tо prеsеnt bаsеd оn thеir pеrsоnаl biаsеs, аnd nоt оn fасts. What do you think?
I liked diet soda too until I found out about aspartame. Aspartame is poison and is in many diet drinks. I found Wyler's no aspartame peach iced tea and love it. So refreshing and no aspartame too! I found this no aspartame peach iced tea at Walgreens 8 for just a dollar. It's not a liquid its in powder form so it's easy to carry when riding the bus. I like no sugar added pastries I found at Foodland supermarket, so the holidays won't be difficult, though a bit pricey, it's delicious. Be careful of aspartame in your diet soda. I found aspartame in diet 7up my favorite soda. I drink no aspartame Wyler's iced tea now instead of diet 7up because of aspartame.
I somewhat disagree @Daniel Milner. True people started drinking diet sodas because they were fat. But they didn't lose weight but kept gaining weight wen drinking. Also true there were obese people before diet drinks came along but nowhere near the percentages we have today. While I believe artificial sweeteners contribute to the problem, I think volume is the real culprit, When I was growing up it was rare to drink one 6 or 10 ounce soda every day. A few days a week maybe and then only during the warmer months. Only one soda a day was normal except for rare times we might get a second one. Today a 20 ounce drink is normal and many people drink many of them every day and year round.
I have to admit that I am a soda addict. But this addiction started only last year. It is actually my husband who is addicted to Coke (the regular red can) and he couldn't eat without his favorite soda when there is no soup in the menu. And now I seem to be addicted to Mountain Dew so our stock room has cases of Coke and Mountain Dew. The physician in the family said that soda does not only add weight but also add bulges to the tummy. And I have to agree because I am a perfect guinea pig. However, I admitted my addiction because I cannot simply quit drinking soda.
Most people who eat foods or drink soda with sugar are apt to have a problem with insulin and weight gain. The body can only store so much sugar in the blood stream, so when we eat or drink food that are high carbs, we trigger insulin. Insulin has the function of being the body's far-storer, so when your blood sugar is high, insulin signals the body to store the extra sugar in the fat cells. Once this happens, the blood sugar drops, and that causes our brain to signal the body that we need food (sugar). Some people are more sensitive to insulin than others, and this is probably why some people gain weight easier than another person would doing the same things, and eating the same food. Now, along comes diet pop.....no sugar.......so fat people think if they drink that they won't gain weight from it,since it is basically flavored water and carbonated. Wrong ! ! Because it is sweet tasting, it still triggers the body's insulin response and then starts taking the sugar out of the bloodstream, thus making the person hungry. So, even diet soda still causes the same effect, storing fat and causing hunger. If a person only drinks some pop now and then, and maybe as part of a meal, it might not be a big issue; but when people drink quantities of it, it is going to mess up insulin production just like regular sugar-sweetened pop will do.
My wife is a diabetic........... She likes her diet pop ........... We buy only diet ginger-ale but of course it is sweetened with artificial sugar.. There is NO way she could have a regular pop with sugar.. She has 2 cans a day.. She has been doing this for the past year or so.. Her blood sugar is under control with the insulin she takes.. We are also on Low Carb and have been for some time.. Personally I have lost lots of weight, and my wife as well, although not as much but still she has lost and is continuing to lose slowly.. I also enjoy my diet Dr. Pepper but I don't have one every day.. Say 2 or 3 a week.. Diet pop is the only way we can go if we want to continue having some.. If the artificial sweetener will cut our life short, then let it do just that.. I have been a diet pop drinker for years and years and at my age, if something goes, then so be it...... We don't have any real sugar in the house.. I use Splenda and have been using it for years and years.. We are still here and alive and kicking................
I think people have to do what works for them. I'm overweight and hardly the poster child for healthy eating. I don't drink diet soda. I like soda but limit to 1-3 cans a week. Usually on my days off only. I buy Hansen's Cane sugar soda. But it's still liquid sugar. Many grocery stores carry it but it's usually on the lower shelf or at Trader Joe's. And if I have an upset stomach sometimes soda works better than anything.
@Yvonne Smith "Because it is sweet tasting, it still triggers the body's insulin response and then starts taking the sugar out of the bloodstream, thus making the person hungry. So, even diet soda still causes the same effect, storing fat and causing hunger. If a person only drinks some pop now and then, and maybe as part of a meal, it might not be a big issue; but when people drink quantities of it, it is going to mess up insulin production just like regular sugar-sweetened pop will do." This is a new one, for me. That sweet-tasting foods trigger insulin release. Do you have the source handy? It seems I might argue this one, based on as-yet unknown examples of proof. What if:.....someone (like me), who has lost nearly all sense of taste, consumes artificially-sweetened soda, cannot taste the sweetness, is his insulin response not present? Frank
I've been drinking too many soft drinks for the past few months. I had gone a few years in which I hadn't had more than an occasional soft drink, but I started drinking more of them this spring. I drink diet soft drinks not because I believe that they are non-fattening but because sugar drinks make me feel bloated and uncomfortable. I'll probably stop again this winter, as I start drinking more coffee. Okay, I know there are those who probably believe that coffee is as bad for me as soft drinks but I don't agree with that.
@Steve North I'll stick to my guns for now on this one, basically saying "yes" to all you stated. You've lost weight, despite use of artificial sweeteners, that's the important thing. What scheme if I may call it that, have you employed to lose weight, how long have you employed it, and how much weight loss have you experienced? (Hope I'm not being too intrusive!) Frank
@Ken Anderson "there are those who probably believe that coffee is as bad for me as soft drinks but I don't agree with that." Lately, many sources of medical information have exonerated coffee of it's ill-effects reputation, even saying it has beneficial effect. I wonder if they meant caffeine-free?
I think that a person who is on a strict diet plan can still lose weight even if they are drinking diet soda; but it does not make it any easier to do so. I have tried both ways, and for me, I need to keep it to a minimum, and treat it like a special occasion thing. One book that really helped me was the Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Plan, by Drs. Richard and Rachel Heller, who have written several books about weight loss, diabetes, heart disease, and insulin resistance. Another good one, particularly for diabetics is The Rosedale Diet, by Dr. Ron Rosedale. Both go deeply into the relationship between sugars, artificial sweeteners, and how they trigger insulin and fat storage. I have been on a low-carb diet and have gradually lost over 30 lbs, while also gaining muscle weight from exercising 3-4 days per week. There are some good articles online about the effects of diet sweeteners and insulin, @Frank Sanoica , and here is a basic one tht explains about it somewhat by Dr. Mercola. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/04/08/diet-soda-weight-gain-cancer.aspx#!
My daughter was a diet coke addict but she wasn't fat at all but she finally decided to quit drinking it and hasn't had any in years. She weighs the same as she did when she did drink it. I don't think she ever drank regular coke because I never had regular pop in our house. We did drink diet pop though. I loved Fresca and always had to have it on hand. My daughter's husband on occasion drinks regular coke, he wont touch the diet stuff. The boys are only allowed on occasion...usually when eating out to drink coke and they order regular. None of my 5 grandsons are really allowed to have coke or root beer or any sugary drink except on rare occasions. It's not forbidden but it's never bought at the store, so not a choice at home. Same with all sugary things...not forbidden but not encouraged either.
Carbonated beverages don't make people fat. Neither does pizza, ice cream, chocolate, bread, potato chips, French fries, or mashed potatoes and gravy. I eat all those things, but I do so in sensible portions, and over the past year I've lost 20 lbs. and kept it off. I also eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water. Overeating .......eating too much and not getting any exercise makes people fat. I don't drink diet soda - don't like the taste of it. Unlike millions of people, I don't try to fool myself into believing that diet soda or "diet" anything will magically make me lose weight. It doesn't work like that. An acquaintance orders a Big Mac, large fries, and a diet soda.....she claims she's watching her weight. She also makes a salad and drowns 1/3 bottle of ranch dressing on it. She refuses to walk anywhere. She's fat and getting fatter. Silly woman.