Ars TechnicaDiet sodas are not actually good for your diet, WHO guidance suggests
Artificial sweeteners don't help control weight, and that's where the problems start.
GarretSidzaka@arstechnica study has too many confounding factors. People who might switch back to sugary drinks will likely injured by this stupid correlation study
Calamity Beast Seydlitz@GarretSidzaka @arstechnica I mean, the WHO clearly states the solution is to cut sweet calorie intake altogether, not substitute sugar for equally harmful placebos.
@pynkbites @arstechnica true. However easier said than done
@GarretSidzaka @arstechnica The difficulty in dropping soda and sugary is very much by design, imo. The corps want folks addicted.
@pynkbites @arstechnica i lost and kept off quite a bit of weight myself when i switched 100% to diet soda
@GarretSidzaka @arstechnica I shed about 20 pounds myself after stopping soda altogether. It was the first, difficult step in a series of dietary and lifestyle changes that ultimately saw me drop ~70 pounds.
Nafnlaus 🇮🇸 🇺🇦@pynkbites @GarretSidzaka @arstechnica Except *nothing* in what they cited declares artificial sweeteners to be "equally harmful to sugar".
@nafnlaus @pynkbites @arstechnica dont let that stop the New York Times to run an even more dumbed down version of the article LMAO
@GarretSidzaka @arstechnica Seriously. I think it's appalling that children in school aren't taught to understand the strength and weakness of scientific claims. These are *prospective cohort studies* in an environment *jam-packed with confounding factors*.
A thousand garbage cohort studies doesn't equal one RCT.
Luis G Rodriguez-Rullan@arstechnica
“One of the key points of uncertainty is whether there is "reverse causation" at play in the harmful long-term health effects. That is, the people who are more likely to use artificial sweeteners may already have elevated risks for developing conditions such as obesity…“
“One of the key points of uncertainty is whether there is "reverse causation" at play in the harmful long-term health effects. That is, the people who are more likely to use artificial sweeteners may already have elevated risks for developing conditions such as obesity…“
Nihl L'Amas@lrodriguezrullan @arstechnica Doing low-quality "studies" on diet soda has become its own industry.
2xfo@arstechnica
I wish they had low sugar options without the fake sweet
I wish they had low sugar options without the fake sweet
Kevin Boyd (he/him) 🇨🇦@RnDanger @arstechnica they sort of do, don't they? The La croixes and Bublys of the world. But I'd be interested in trying, say, a low-sugar Dr Pepper.
@kboyd @arstechnica
Dr Pepper, root beer, any cola... It's all the brown sodas for me. Make them less sweet, please
Dr Pepper, root beer, any cola... It's all the brown sodas for me. Make them less sweet, please
@RnDanger @arstechnica especially mug root beer. It would probably improve the flavour, being less sweet.
: j@fabrica:~/src; 
@arstechnica Looks like the adblock nagger is tuned a bit aggressive. Isn’t detecting that I’m logged in as a subscriber. I guess I’ll just check my feed reader.
Julie Webgirl@arstechnica
Not good for your diet?? How about not good for your BODY. Not good for your HEALTH. Not good for your NERVOUS SYSTEM. Not good for not needing ADULT DIAPERS.
How about you cut down on the FAT in your diet.
It's sugar AND FAT that makes you fat... and creates the diabetes problems.
P.S. There's no sugar in your soda (unless it's not made in America).
But hey if you have to tell people it's not good for their DIET in order for them to listen, go for it.
jared@arstechnica Stevia isn’t artificial.
Incorrigible Maker for HARRISWhat's the story on stevia?
Jessica G.@arstechnica Plus there's growing evidence that they alter your gut microbiome
Danie van der Merwe@arstechnica the word "Diet" was really great marketing and PR though. Like "zero" and "low" they all mean very little, and fool many into thinking they can eat or drink even more of the product...
@arstechnica and now this article is featured on the New york Times. Also completely omitting the confounding issues raised by the researchers themselves...it is now "truth"
Miles Stevens@arstechnica someone tell me if I missed the part where diet sodas were ever alleged to “help” you lose weight? And how about the fact that people who feel the freedom to drink as much soda as they want simply because it uses a sugar substitute are less likely to be making healthy choices in other (and much more impactful) areas of their diet?
Sounds like the top factor here is an inability to self-moderate.
Edith Katz@arstechnica I read the article. I happen to be diabetic. Artificial sweeteners are better for diabetics than sugar. They do not appear to help you lose weight. So ... It is still better than sugar or corn syrup is for your body.
@arstechnica 1) "Notably, some of these trials had groups where participants were switched from sugary drinks to water or nothing (placebo)—and water or placebos were as effective, if not more effective, at reducing weight. WHO experts note that this suggests that the weight loss seen in some trials of artificial sweeteners is likely just down to reducing calories, not an inherent property of artificial sweeteners."
Um, duh? That's the whole point: reducing calories.
Daniel LakelandWhat even is a "placebo" for Coke? like you put Coke in a bottle labeled "Diet Coke?" or what?
Edit: I guess it says "nothing" but that should definitely not say "(placebo)" That's a treatment called "stop drinking Coke".