Diet Soda Linked to Expanding the Waistline Rather Than Trimming It

Findings showed that although the waistlines of all participants expanded to some extent, those who were diet soda drinkers had a waistline increase that was 70 percent higher than those who did not partake of the low-calorie drinks. Adding insult to injury, those who consumed two or more diet sodas daily saw their waistlines expand a a rate that was five times greater than non-drinkers. The results remained true even after the researchers adjusted for other contributing factors such as physical activity levels, age, and diabetes status.

Drinking diet soda in an attempt to shed pounds may pack them on instead. Even worse, the artificial sweeteners they contain may promote the onset of type 2 diabetes. The discouraging news comes from researchers at the University of Texas, San Antonio. The findings of the research were recently presented at the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) Scientific Sessions in San Diego, California.

Dr. Helen Hazuda, professor and chief of the Division of Clinical Epidemiology of the Texas University School of Medicine and lead author of the decade-long study, stated, “Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised.” She then added, “They may be free of calories but not of consequences.” Hazuda’s is the fourth large-scale study to indicate that consuming diet soda is detrimental to health.

For their study, Hazuda’s team analyzed composite data from 474 participants of the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging (SALSA), a large, population-based study of the disablement process in both elderly Mexican and European Americans. Participants reported their intake of diet soda at the beginning of the study, and were also measured for height, weight and waist circumference. The study subjects were then tracked in terms of their diet soda intake and body fat for an average of nine and one-half years.

Although the data did not indicate the reason that drinking diet soda promotes weight gain, previous research suggests that because the brain expects calories to be associated with the sweet-tasting drinks, when none are present, the body begins to store more calories as fat.

Researcher, Sharon Fowler noted, “Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but unlike regular sugars they don’t deliver something that will squelch the appetite.” Therefore, those who need their soda fix may be better served by consuming full-calorie sodas in moderation instead.

The Bigger the Fork, the Smaller the Waistline

 

Although the preconceived notion is to think in terms of reduced food portions on small plates when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, sometimes bigger really is better, especially when it comes to the of fork you choose to eat with.

According to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, people who used an oversized fork to take bigger bites when eating out actually ate less than those who consumed their meal using a fork that was smaller than normal. The findings of the analysis were recently published in the online edition of the Journal of ConsumerResearch.

For the research team to arrive at their findings, it was a case of “buon appetito” and we’ll do the rest, with the help of a local Italian restaurant. Over a two-day period, during which two lunches and two dinners were served as part of the analysis, the researchers selected tables at random to receive either forks that were 20 percent larger than those normally used by the restaurant, or forks that were 20 percent smaller than were normally used.

Each plate of food served was weighed both prior to being carried to the table, and upon its return to the kitchen, which allowed the amount of food eaten by each person to be calculated. The surprising results revealed that those patrons who were given larger forks ate less overall, leaving more food on their plates by the end of their meal than did those using the smaller forks. This left University of Utah researchers Arul Mishra, Himanshu Mishra, and Tamara M. Masters with the task of explaining why those who received bigger bites of food actually consumed less than did those who ate smaller bites.

Their conclusions? First, the diners are visually aware of whether they are making progress in diminishing the amount of food seen on their plates in their effort to achieve satiation of their hunger. The use of a smaller fork gives the appearance that less progress has been made in achieving their goal, while the use of a larger fork provides for the appearance of a more adequate amount of food having been consumed from the plate.

In addition, those who eat with smaller forks feel the need to further their efforts in achieving hunger satisfaction by eating more forkfuls of food, which results in their actual consumption of more than an adequate amount of food.

In a news release, the researchers explained, “The fork provided the diners with a means to observe their goal progress. The physiological feedback of feeling full, or the satiation signal, comes with a time lag. In its absence, diners focus on the visual cue of whether they are making any dent on the food on their plate to assess goal progress.”

 After reaching their conclusions, the research team tested them by varying the portions of food served to the restaurant patrons. They discovered that among diners who were served larger portions, those using smaller forks ate significantly more than those using larger forks. However, when served smaller portions, the of the fork used by the diners had no affect the amount of food they consumed.

The study authors acknowledged that their findings only hold true for people who are eating out. The results are not necessarily applicable to people eating at home because their goals for satisfying hunger may differ from those of restaurant patrons.
The researchers also advised that to avoid overeating, people need to learn how to better recognize and understand their own personal hunger cues, and determine how much food they actually need to eat. Then, use your best judgment and buon appetito!