Your Sweet Tooth and Obesity

Individuals are deluded to think that drinking beverages containing no-calorie sweeteners will help them lose weight or at least not gain weight. A new study continues to debunk this myth. Participants in the San Antonio Heart Study¹ were evaluated at baseline and again seven years later. Consumption of artificially sweetened beverages increased body mass index (BMI) by 47%, compared to those who did not consume these beverages. The greater the intake, the worse the obesity-related problem.

The researchers concluded by saying “These findings raise the question whether artificial sweetener use might be fueling—rather than fighting—our escalating obesity epidemic.”

It's obviously fueling the epidemic, along with the consumption of horrid sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. In the case of artificial sweeteners, your taste buds are fooled and leptin receptors on them send a message to your brain that calories are coming – when in fact they are not. This causes you to overeat at future meals to “get caught up.”

Controlling your cravings for food, including your desire for ingestion of sweets, whether artificially sweetened or not, is essential if you are to keep on a consistent weight loss plan. Follow this link if you want more tips on controlling food cravings.