foodconsumer.org: Sugar-free drinks help in battle of obesity

Sugar-free drinks help in battle of obesity
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admin on 08/26/2009 01:55:00
 
By Sheilah Downey (sheilahd@foodconsumer.org)
Calorie fighters everywhere know that losing weight is only half the battle
against the stubborn bulge -- keeping the weight off is even trickier.
A new study in the International Journal of Obesity says that drinking
sugar-free drinks is a proven tool to help in the fight.
Researchers analyzed calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat and beverage intake
for the study as well as dietary restraint of more than 300 people.
"Our findings suggest that the use of artificially sweetened beverages may be an
important weight control strategy among weight loss maintainers," stated a press
release.
The study suggested that dieters use more strategies in addition to the sugar
substitutes, such as eating less fat, and the use of sugar and fat-modified
foods. They were also more likely to reduce caloric beverages and opt instead
for artificially sweetened drinks, the study stated.
A 2002 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, on which
this research was based, found those who drank sugar substitutes had
"significantly greater weight loss" as compared to those who did not.
While research says the sugar-free drinks are a good method for weight loss,
they aren't a magical solution.
"Low-calorie sweeteners and reduced-calorie products are not magic bullets,"
said Dr. Adam Drewenowski, director of Public Health Nutrition at the University
of Washington. "which means using these products will not result in automatic
weight loss."
Drewenowski, who co-authored a recent review of low-cal sweeteners, said that
people hoping to lose or maintain weight should use low-calorie sweeteners in
addition to other tools.
His study was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.