Soda, sweet drinks main source of calories in U.S.

Science Blog ^ | 2005-05-27 15:37.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Coke is coming out with a new product "Coca Cola Zero" by the end of the month.

Unfortunately, it looks like Coca Cola Zero still has aspartame in it, along with the Splenda. Coke must have signed an oath in blood that NutraSweet would be in all of their diet products forever.

I'll stick to Diet Rite cola - or Boylan Sugar Cane cola when I occasionally want the real stuff. ;)

[Aquinasfan]

more than two thirds reported drinking enough soda and/or sweet drinks to provide them with a greater proportion of daily calories than any other food.

Last Thanksgiving, I saw my 16-year-old nephew go through a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi (3000 calories?) and half a blueberry pie. Believe it or not, he's a fat pig.

[Aquinasfan]

Some don't taste so good, but diet Cherry Coke, diet Lime Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper, Fresca and the Hansen's fruit sodas are all decent.

I'm partial to lime diet Coke and diet Dr. Pepper myself. Is that a bad thing?

[ko_kyi]

Juices are not remotely as healthy as whole fruits. They are little better than sodas, all commercials aside.

[AppyPappy]

I quit having a Coke every morning during Lent and it almost kills me.

[chilepepper]

way different animals. HFCS was invented by the Japanese in the 1950's or 1960's and championed by Acher Daniel Midlands and the other giant food comglomerates... it has a strange effect on our bodies appetite machinery and is a main contibutor to US obesity.

natural orange juice doesn't have the same effect...

[Wolfie]

Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight
Fox News
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
By Daniel J. DeNoon

People who drink diet soft drinks don't lose weight. In fact, they gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet sodas.

"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler's team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

[LIConFem]

"High Fructose Corn Syrup is the main health threat in our food."

It's in absolutely everything!!!! I once bough a 1-lb container of potato salad, and it was loaded with HFCS.

It's frikkin' disgusting!

[Junior_G]

"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

I'd be inclined to believe that the people drinking diet sodas perhaps did so because they knew their other eating habits were more inclined to make them fat. Thin people don't need to drink diet sodas, so why would they? Otherwise, it makes no sense that a zero-calorie beverage is going to make anybody fat.

[okkev68]

I believe that half of the thirty pounds that I lost were the result of cutting out coke. I would drink a can before bed almost every night. As long as I stay away from high carb drinks, I can pretty much eat what I want and not gain weight.

My 11 year old son was starting to look a little pudgy and becoming insecure about his belly, so we switched the whole family over to a lower glycemic regimen. No more fruit drinks, pops, white bread, sweets, etc.. Only 100% whole wheat, diet pop, water, low carb sweets. He was not heavy for his height, but in 2 weeks he lost 6 lbs and felt alot better.

My concern is when they go back to school. We are trying to teach them to make better choices when we are not around to monitor their eating.

I firmly believe that one day history will show refined carbs and the so called "food pyramid" as one of the greatest causes of disease and death to mankind.

[Wolfie]

Saw another report on tv with more detail. They say the "sweet" taste, although non-caloric on its own, stimulates appetite.

[dread78645]

What amazes me is that I have been to most every corner of the world, and Fanta is everywhere, but not in the USA!

I understand Coca-Cola has the US rights for Fanta. You can try calling your local Coca-Cola distributor and see which stores they sell it to.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I'm partial to lime diet Coke and diet Dr. Pepper myself. Is that a bad thing?It's a Good Thing, especially, 3 parts unleaded Dr Pepper and 1 part of the lime diet coke (and a drop of vanilla extract.)

[dread78645]

Most people I know who drink that much soda drink the diet version. Zero calories.

That may be.

Way back when, one of my junior admins would drink one of those 20 oz bottles in the morning and another in the pm. and probably a third at home for dinner.
Anecdotal? Sure, -- but somehow I don't think she was the exception to the rule.

[CajunConservative]

I firmly believe that one day history will show refined carbs and the so called "food pyramid" as one of the greatest causes of disease and death to mankind.

I agree with you that the blasted food guide pyramid along with the dumping of hfcs and partially hydrogenated oils into everything at the same time has been culpable for this rapid rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes. When preteens are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes there is a real problem out there. Most people did not get diagnosed with that until their 50's and older twenty years ago.

I have lost over 100 pounds by eating only whole real foods and basically not drinking any cokes or diet cokes. I will drink a diet coke when I eat out but when I started drinking a lot of water I just didn't want the diet cokes anymore.

[CajunConservative]

They are thinking that it causes the insulin to release similar to when you eat sugar.

[ConservativeMan55]

bookmark

[dread78645]

Unfortunately, it looks like Coca Cola Zero still has aspartame in it, along with the Splenda.

My impression was "Coke Zero" was distinct from "Diet Coke", -- one with NutraSweet and the other with Splenda. Oh well.
Since I've lost any craving for sweet drinks, I won't have to worry about it. Water, coffee, & beer is the fluid spectrum for me.

[socal_parrot]

The new Diet Coke with Splenda sucks.

[dread78645]

I firmly believe that one day history will show refined carbs and the so called "food pyramid" as one of the greatest causes of disease and death to mankind.