Diet fizzy drinks 'lead to weight gain'
Mums and dads may want to think twice about giving their kids diet fizzy drinks, after research presented at an annual health conference suggested they can lead to significant weight gain.All parents know that fizzy drinks are one of the unhealthiest things for youngsters. Unfortunately, they are also one of the things they enjoy the most. As a result, many try to encourage their kids to drink diet versions of their favourite carbonated drinks.
But a study by researchers at the University of Texas indicated that people drinking diet soda gain three times as much weight as those who avoid them, undermining their value as a dietary aid.
The research, presented at the recent American Diabetes Association Conference, involved following the diets of 474 adults over a 12-year period.
Over the course of the study, those drinking two or more diet fizzy drinks a day saw their waist lines increase by five times the amount of those who stuck to water, juice and a moderate intake of regular fizzy drinks.
The researchers suggested this could be because artificial sweeteners are so much stronger than natural sugars, that they encourage the body to crave more sugar-filled foods.
