Diet Soda for Weight Loss? Surely You Jest!
“In unrelated news, the Alliance of Princess Tea Parties has released a study showing that boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider.” Phillip Ryan commenting on a May 28 article by Allison Aubrey (Could Diet Soda Really Be Better Than Water For Weight Loss?).
Just when you thought you’d heard it all, along comes a ‘scientific’ study that tests the very limits of logic, reason, ethics, and yes; science. Despite the fact that everyone (and I do mean everyone) knows that soda is bad for one’s health, a recent study from the May 26, 2014 issue of the medical journal Obesity (The effects of water and non-nutritive sweetened beverages on weight loss during a 12-week weight loss treatment program) came to some ‘interesting’ conclusions regarding Diet Soda and weight loss.
“These results strongly suggest that NNS (non-Nutritive Sweetened) beverages can be part of an effective weight loss strategy and individuals who desire to consume them should not be discouraged from doing so because of concerns that they will undermine short-term weight loss efforts. These results show that water is not superior to NNS beverages for weight loss during a comprehensive behavioral weight loss program.”
Sounds great, but in the immortal words of Paul Harvey, “now it’s time for the rrrrrrest of the story“.
I have not only written numerous articles on SODA over the years, but have written extensively about DIET SODA as well. And to be very specific, I have repeatedly shown you that Diet Sodas DO NOT help people with long term weight loss. In fact, numerous peer-reviewed studies have shown that Diet Soda actually causes weight gain.
Once you understand that MSG and NUTRASWEET (Aspartame) are both excitotoxins, and excitotoxins are known to cause OBESITY, you should begin to wonder how this study’s authors got the results they did. Truth be known, they got it in the same fashion that the majority of our EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE is gathered in this country —- someone paid for it.
When you start to look at this research, almost immediately you read that, “the study was fully funded by The American Beverage Association“. Furthermore, the study’s lead author, Dr. John C. Peters, “received consulting fees from The Coca-Cola Company outside of the submitted work.” He was not the only author to do so. This is no different than a few years ago when the American Corn Growers told 60 Minutes that HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP was the same as white sugar.
By the way, who is John C. Peters? He is an Associate Professor and Chief Strategy Officer at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Wellness Center. We learn from the university’s website that Peters, “spent more than 25 years in research and development with the Proctor & Gamble Company, where he conducted and managed research, technology and product development programs in areas including nutrition, obesity, diabetes, metabolism……..“.
Riddle me this Batman. How in the world does one whose life work can be summed up as, “involved in a number of public health initiatives aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors for the prevention and management of obesity and diabetes,” be taking money from Coca Cola and telling us that Diet Soda is better for us than water? You’re right; it is a terrible CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST. But hey; the medical research field is littered with them. What’s new?
If you are interested in losing real weight, it’s going to take some real effort — mostly regarding what you chose or chose not to put in your mouth. HERE are a few posts on Weight Loss. If you are going to do it, you may as well do it right! Be sure to like, share or follow on FACEBOOK as well.
