Well, it turns out and is a surprise to some that diet pop doesn’t help you lose weight. In fact, it may be helping you gain more weight!
According to a study done at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio, your odds of becoming overweight or obese increase a staggering 41% with every can or bottle of diet pop you drink each day.
The study followed 1550 people, 60% of who were overweight at the beginning of the study, for eight years and measured their pop consumption. During the study, another 200 people joined the ranks of the overweight and obese.
The study found that by drinking two cans of regular pop a day, your risk of becoming overweight increased about 47%. But far more surprising was the finding that by drinking two cans of diet pop each day, the risk of becoming overweight or obese increased by more than 57%.
But Isn’t Diet Pop a No-Calorie Beverage?
The authors of the study are quick to point out that diet pop does not cause obesity on its own. Rather, its more likely that people decide that they are being good by ordering a diet pop so they so they can have the double cheeseburger and large fries.
Another theory is that artificially sweetened pop doesn’t have the same ability to satisfy your sweet tooth that real sugar does. Instead, diet pop leaves you thirsty and still craving something sweet, so indulgers are likely to try to curb their craving with another diet pop.
A third theory suggests that people who drink regular pop are much more likely to allow for the extra calories somewhere else in their diet, so their overall caloric consumption doesn’t increase as much.
Well, What Should I Drink?
Ideally, to hydrate your body and quench your thirst, water is always the best choice. Fresh brewed ice and green teas sweetened with freshly squeezed lemon are also good choices. But if you are addicted to pop, you might consider reaching for a regular one instead (still not the best choice). You’ll still decrease your odds of gaining more weight and feel like you are treating yourself to something sweet.
Lastly, remember that a diet soda isn’t a diet food. If you want to lose weight, simply switching to diet pop isn’t going to be the magic bullet that gets you bikini ready.
Cutting out soda pop altogether, switching to ice water and green tea, watching your calorie intake, making the right food choices and starting an balanced exercise routine are the best ways to stay out of the heavy majority, who more and more often, can be seen holding a can of diet pop.
Your Fitness and Nutrition Coach,
~David Modderman
