Studies are showing that people who consume diet foods and drink that contain artificial sweeteners not only don’t lose weight but in fact tend to gain weight. The reasons for this are not clear but a few related studies have hypotheses as to these reasons.

• People who consume diet foods may assume that because of the title DIET they can consume more with out weight gain.
• The artificial sweeteners in these foods may be confusing our body’s sense of satiety. These sweeteners may interfere with the body’s natural processes of limiting consumption of sweet substances.

What ever the reasons studies done by Sharon P. Fowler (University of Texas) showed that for every can of diet soda consumed obesity went up by 41% as compared with 36% for regular soda.
Studies done by Susan E. Swithers and Terry L. Davidson (Purdue University) showed that when rats were fed artificial sweeteners they increased their caloric intake and increased body weight and fat.
MY OPINION: If you want to achieve weight loss should sodas, diet or regular, be a regularly consumed item? Diet foods, if they contain artificial sweeteners should also be questioned by us.

• With a regular soda you are consuming 9 to 10 teaspoons of sugar. Imagine sitting down a small bowl of sugar and eating it. People would think we were crazy! Yet we do it regularly in liquid form.
• Beside the direct result from consumption of diet foods (weight gain) there is also the fact that we are consuming some very questionable chemicals that many of them are made of or from.

This is a very simplified version of some very long scientific dissertations but should still give one sufficient reason to seriously consider the use of diet foods as a source of weight loss.

Know what is going into your body and answer the question of whether; are short cuts the way to go with weight loss or is the natural process of eating healthy foods in moderation combined with an active lifestyle the safer way to lose weight. Eat healthy foods, include as many of the super foods in your diet as possible, exercise regularly to be a healthy and energetic being. Good Luck and good health!

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