For many of us, it’s the logical solution–switching from regular Coke to Diet Coke as a way to cut down on calories.
However, doing so could actually make you eat more calories, according to a shocking new study reported in the American Journal of Public Health.
“We need to go beyond telling them, ‘You need to drink less sugary soda’,” says Sara Bleich, study author and associate professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. “That’s because when people make the switch from regular to diet, they’re not making many other changes.”
Examining data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a survey which collected data on adults over age 20 between 1999 and 2010, Bleich and her team of researchers looked specifically for three pieces of data: Their weight, calories consumed, and how they consumed these calories.
As for what they found, the data intrigued researchers–because despite what they ate, those described as overweight or obese typically ate around the same amount of calories everyday.
Where they got most of the calories from changed depending on what they drank, however.
“Among obese diet beverage drinkers, those who consumed low- or no-calorie drinks ate 2,058 calories a day in food versus 1,897 food calories for those who had regular drinks,” say researchers. “Such differences were statistically significant.”
In addition, researchers found that when they snacked on foods, they often reached for sweet foods–which makes researchers believes that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda trigger people to eat more sugary snacks.
“For some individuals, that constant exposure to that sweet taste does drive appetite,” says Sharon Fowler, a University of Texas clinical epidemiologist for the Health Science Center in San Antonio. “So the question is, Are diet sodas innocent bystanders in the obesity epidemic, or are they accomplices? I don’t think they are innocent–for some people, at least.”
However, Bleich doesn’t believe that diet sodas alone are solely to blame the participants’ overeating habits. In previous studies, researchers also found that switching to diet soda helped people manage their weight better–so something else is obviously coming into play here.
For Bleich, she believes that drinking diet soda is often the only dietary change overweight people make–which, if you’re trying to lose weight, just isn’t enough.
“We need to make recommendations that work with life,” says Bleich. “If you are an obese person, and I get you to switch from regular to diet soda, I’ve made gains by getting you to switch. But the reality is, if you want to lose weight, you need to make other, better choices.”
What You Should Do
Trying to lose weight? Depending on diet soda alone to help trim off the weight won’t work, according to recent research–you also need to watch your calories as well. Cutting out other processed foods, eating more vegetables and fruits, and adding exercise to your daily regimen are all ways you can lower your calorie count and keep the weight off.
Readers: How often do you drink diet soda?
Sources:
BLOG: Diet Soda Drinkers Eat More Calories – NPR.org
Overwight Americans Who Drink Diet Soda Eat More Food – FoxNews.com
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.