For all those who are working hard to burn the flab from their body and are including all the diet alternatives like diet soda, available in the market, needs to think again. The latest research conducted at the Johns Hopkins University shows that the obese people opting diet soda often consume more calories from the food they have, than the overweight people drinking normal sugar-sweetened soda do. From 1965 to till date there is an increase of 17 percent in the diet soda sipping population. Now a days, about 20 percent of U.S. population preferred diet soda.
Sara Bleich, lead author and an associate professor from the Bloomberg School health policy and management department said:
Although overweight and obese adults who drink diet soda eat a comparable amount of total calories as heavier adults who drink sugary beverages, they consume significantly more calories from solid food at both meals and snacks.
The research team for the analysis used figures on the health associated matters that were collected by National Health and Nutrition Examination, surveying 24,000 people aged 20 and above of the United States over a period of ten years. The data revealed shocking facts. Researchers found that heavy overweight people likely to consume same amount of calories on day-to-day basis, no matter what they eat for their meals, whereas overweight people indulge in diet soda absorb significantly more calories from their meals.
On a daily basis an obese person tends to consume somewhere around 1,965 calories from their meals. On the other hand, obese individuals that consumed normal sugar sweetened soda absorb around 1,874 calories per day from their food. Researchers upon comparing calories per day in meals for overweight persons, they found that the person opting for diet soda consumes 2,058 calories and the normal soda drinkers consumed 1,879 calories.
As per the researcher Sara the diet drinks alone cannot make a difference if one keeps consuming more food instead to maximize the results, diet soda drinkers should make healthy changes in their regular food habit and cutting down the food intake. However, the study could not find an exact cause and effect relationship, but researchers are of the view that diet soda’s could be altering individual’s metabolism or yearnings making them to consume more calories. The artificial sweeteners in the diet soda make your brain feel that the stomach is not full and so the person ate more than what is required.
Word of caution for all those on diet, opt for diet beverages, better stay off from these drinks, and opt for healthier options like water, coffee, juice or tea with no sweeteners.
Source: Counsel & Heal
