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Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

usatoday.com

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Re: Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

#21

As far as I know, the US is the only country where sugar-free soda is referred to as "diet". The notion that it would help lose weight is totally new to me, I'm presuming that is because most countries outside the US would never allow it to be marketed that way.

It's called diet here in Canada as well. In any case, diet does not and has never meant "lose weight". If you pay any attention to what you consume, you are "on a diet".

> In any case, diet does not and has never meant "lose weight".

It plainly does, whether that usage makes you happy or not: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/diet?s=t

Re: Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

#22
post #6

Er, this whole topic can be a little misleading. I haven't found a single reputable study that claims diet soda itself causes weight gain. Rather, just as the reasoning in this article suggests, the only scientific fact they present is that the consumption of diet soda itself does not encourage weight loss. Side note: Do any brands really advertise drinking their diet soda as a method of (actual) weight loss? I can't…

> Side note: Do any brands really advertise their diet soda as a method of weight loss? Well, it's called diet soda for a reason.

"Diet" and "weight loss" are often used interchangeably, sure, but can you think of any instances in which diet Pepsi or diet Coke has been advertised as actually causing weight loss (ie; the product itself is a weight loss supplement)?

I think the name "diet soda" needs to go, as it really is misleading, but (and I could be wrong about this) I don't think these companies have ever claimed their products make you shed pounds by simply drinking them.

Re: Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

#23
You don't need a study to know that none of the Soda drinks are of any help to any humans. Humans lived without soda for very long time until someone invented Pepsis and Cokes and .... and they are not something you use to help yourself for anything. So why bother?

Re: Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

#24
Summary: Fat, unhealthy people drink diet soda. We don't know if it's correlation or causation. Lots of people have different theories, but they're all over the map.

Reading articles like this in news media sources is so frustrating since they only ask questions and never answer any of them.

Re: Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

#25
post #10

I think what's misleading is not the guidance of this article: but rather the idea that calories are calories. We've been told calories are calories are calories so many times. BUT Calories are clearly not treated the same way by different people: two people can eat the same thing, and live the same lifestyle, and one will be overweight. Should we really assume that the same notion can't apply to an individual who tr…

Research has shown metabolism doesn't have the affect on weight loss as many believe it to have. Case in point, weight loss can be achieved eating 1 big meal a day vs. 6 smaller meals a day (where the latter is often hyped b/c it "revs" your metabolism). Your body adjusts. The true formula for weight loss is simple and well understood: consume less calories than your body requires. When you create a caloric deficit,…

Newbie question: I find zero-fat food that is very high in protein and reasonable in sugar. Such food also is high on calories. Is food with 230 calories (zero from fat) the same as 230 calories (120 from fat, zero grams protein) in terms of weight loss? I am avoiding the latter, do I need to avoid the former too?

Re: Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

#27
post #10

I think what's misleading is not the guidance of this article: but rather the idea that calories are calories. We've been told calories are calories are calories so many times. BUT Calories are clearly not treated the same way by different people: two people can eat the same thing, and live the same lifestyle, and one will be overweight. Should we really assume that the same notion can't apply to an individual who tr…

> What's the elephant in the room? Metabolism!!

The stuff I've seen says that metabolism can only account for about 300 kcal/day difference, until you get into extreme cases like "starvation mode" where the body starts to shutdown (women's periods stop, etc). In the end there's no way around the first law of thermodynamics.

Most anecdotes about "but he eats the same stuff I do!" are just the extremely common cases of people under and overestimating caloric value.

Re: Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

#28
post #10

I think what's misleading is not the guidance of this article: but rather the idea that calories are calories. We've been told calories are calories are calories so many times. BUT Calories are clearly not treated the same way by different people: two people can eat the same thing, and live the same lifestyle, and one will be overweight. Should we really assume that the same notion can't apply to an individual who tr…

Research has shown metabolism doesn't have the affect on weight loss as many believe it to have. Case in point, weight loss can be achieved eating 1 big meal a day vs. 6 smaller meals a day (where the latter is often hyped b/c it "revs" your metabolism). Your body adjusts. The true formula for weight loss is simple and well understood: consume less calories than your body requires. When you create a caloric deficit,…

I don't doubt it's a great book, but the first sentence defies your claim that metabolism is a red herring unless you're saying this guy is selling red herrings:

>Clinical Research Proves that Eat Stop Eat will Help You Lose Weight Fast, Get Rid of Ugly Body Fat and Increase Growth Hormone in as Little as 24 Hours - all while Improving Your Metabolism and Even Building Lean Muscle

Re: Study: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight

#30
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Side note: Do any brands really advertise their diet soda as a method of weight loss? Well, it's called diet soda for a reason.

"Diet" and "weight loss" are often used interchangeably, sure, but can you think of any instances in which diet Pepsi or diet Coke has been advertised as actually causing weight loss (ie; the product itself is a weight loss supplement)? I think the name "diet soda" needs to go, as it really is misleading, but (and I could be wrong about this) I don't think these companies have ever claimed their products make you she…

People KNOW the meaning of diet?

Diet definition 3 from Merriam Webster: "the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason"

(by the way: who the hell thought it was good idea to put on your dictionary site a ad for wallmart with sound, and REALLY LOUD sound, that plays automatically?)

Diet products were intended, and advertised, as sugar-free stuff, for people that need sugar-free dietary needs (ie: diabetics mostly)

It was the weight loss desperate people that figured that it might result in weight loss and generated lots of confusion.

Here in Brazil the government even passed a law, that to market anything as "diet" the requeriment is that it has 0% sugar, for safety of diabetics. And whoever decides to sue a company because their "diet" product has more calories or more fat for example, is their problem, because "diet" was not meant for that.

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