Realjob
Mon, Jul-25-05, 06:21
Diet soda? Fat chance.
Dr. Tedd Mitchell for USAWeekend.com, Health Section A new
study's shocking bottom line: If you habitually choose
low-calorie over regular soft drinks, your risk of obesity
balloons! Like many others in the '80s, I consumed lots of
soda during my college years. When I met my wife in
medical school, I shifted from regular to diet sodas. I
grew accustomed to the familiar diet soda aftertaste,
rationalizing that this choice was good for my health.
While regular soda remains the king of the soft-drink
industry, consumption of diet versions has increased
consistently since the mid-1990s. Better weight control
must be part of the picture, right? Well, maybe not. In a
study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio, researchers found that those
consuming diet sodas gained more weight over the study
period than their counterparts consuming regular soft
drinks. The data were reported at the annual meeting of
the American Diabetes Association in San Diego last month.
The study followed more than 600 people for up to eight
years. The participants had normal weight at the beginning
of the study and ranged in age from 25 to 64. They were
asked about soft-drink consumption -- what type (diet vs.
regular), how many cans per day, etc. They were then
followed over time, and that's where things got surprising
(see box). Although these findings certainly were
intriguing, the researchers were quick to point out that
diet sodas don't cause obesity. Remember, most diet sodas
contain zero calories, and consuming something with zero
calories can't make you obese. What gives? Well, several
theories have been proposed. The first is that although a
diet soda may taste sweet to your palate, your body still
knows that it's nutritionally empty, so by consuming it
you wind up sending your body on a mission to find
calories from somewhere to make up for the calories that
weren't in the soda. Another theory, which I think is
right on the mark, is that we develop a certain mind-set
in which we believe that because diet soda is
calorie-free, we have license to eat other foods more
liberally. As a result, even though the soda may be
calorie-neutral, the diet produces a calorie surplus. At a
time when our nation is wrestling with a weight-control
problem, asking tough questions about our dietary habits
is important. Although this study raises more questions
than it answers, it should serve as food for thought for
us all. If we fill our diets with unhealthful foods, our
choice of beverage is unlikely to make up the difference.
Want to get healthy? Watch what you put on your plate and
what you pour in your glass. When it comes to beverages,
consider more healthful alternatives, and save the sodas
for weekend treats. Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is the medical
director of the Wellness Program of Dallas' Cooper Clinic.
REGULAR VS. DIET
Regular soft-drink consumption: Approximately 33% of those
drinking one to two cans per day became overweight or obese.
Approximately 47% of those drinking more than two cans per day
became overweight or obese. Diet soft-drink consumption:
Approximately 54% of those drinking one to two cans per day
became overweight or obese. Approximately 57% of those
drinking more than two cans per day became overweight or
obese. Source: University of Texas Health Science Center
Dr. Tedd Mitchell for USAWeekend.com, Health Section A new
study's shocking bottom line: If you habitually choose
low-calorie over regular soft drinks, your risk of obesity
balloons! Like many others in the '80s, I consumed lots of
soda during my college years. When I met my wife in
medical school, I shifted from regular to diet sodas. I
grew accustomed to the familiar diet soda aftertaste,
rationalizing that this choice was good for my health.
While regular soda remains the king of the soft-drink
industry, consumption of diet versions has increased
consistently since the mid-1990s. Better weight control
must be part of the picture, right? Well, maybe not. In a
study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio, researchers found that those
consuming diet sodas gained more weight over the study
period than their counterparts consuming regular soft
drinks. The data were reported at the annual meeting of
the American Diabetes Association in San Diego last month.
The study followed more than 600 people for up to eight
years. The participants had normal weight at the beginning
of the study and ranged in age from 25 to 64. They were
asked about soft-drink consumption -- what type (diet vs.
regular), how many cans per day, etc. They were then
followed over time, and that's where things got surprising
(see box). Although these findings certainly were
intriguing, the researchers were quick to point out that
diet sodas don't cause obesity. Remember, most diet sodas
contain zero calories, and consuming something with zero
calories can't make you obese. What gives? Well, several
theories have been proposed. The first is that although a
diet soda may taste sweet to your palate, your body still
knows that it's nutritionally empty, so by consuming it
you wind up sending your body on a mission to find
calories from somewhere to make up for the calories that
weren't in the soda. Another theory, which I think is
right on the mark, is that we develop a certain mind-set
in which we believe that because diet soda is
calorie-free, we have license to eat other foods more
liberally. As a result, even though the soda may be
calorie-neutral, the diet produces a calorie surplus. At a
time when our nation is wrestling with a weight-control
problem, asking tough questions about our dietary habits
is important. Although this study raises more questions
than it answers, it should serve as food for thought for
us all. If we fill our diets with unhealthful foods, our
choice of beverage is unlikely to make up the difference.
Want to get healthy? Watch what you put on your plate and
what you pour in your glass. When it comes to beverages,
consider more healthful alternatives, and save the sodas
for weekend treats. Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is the medical
director of the Wellness Program of Dallas' Cooper Clinic.
REGULAR VS. DIET
Regular soft-drink consumption: Approximately 33% of those
drinking one to two cans per day became overweight or obese.
Approximately 47% of those drinking more than two cans per day
became overweight or obese. Diet soft-drink consumption:
Approximately 54% of those drinking one to two cans per day
became overweight or obese. Approximately 57% of those
drinking more than two cans per day became overweight or
obese. Source: University of Texas Health Science Center