The FastDay Forum

[carorees]

I spotted this interesting review paper which nicely summarises the confusion over the role of low-cal drinks and foods in creating/controlling obesity. Although the authors appear to have received some funding from interested parties, the points they make about the design of studies to examine how sugar substitutes may affect appetite and energy intake are valid.

However, apart from that, they make some interesting observations on the role of desire and deprivation on energy intake:

Overweight individuals with visceral adiposity have augmented food wanting and energy intake in the absence of hunger (49). Vulnerability to carbohydrate intake under stress is reflected in the cortisol response, which decreases after protein and fat intake but not after carbohydrate intake (50). Stress-induced eating is not only related to enhanced postprandial wanting but also to reduced postprandial liking. Characterization of food perception is less pronounced and liking scores are consistently lower in overweight than in normal-weight individuals under stress (51). Therefore, postprandial stress-induced eating in overweight individuals seems to be due to relatively decreased liking and increased wanting, again suggesting the presence of reward deficiency in these individuals (47). Reward deficiency is most apparent in the absence of hunger, in agreement with the notion that reward deficiency leads to reward seeking that may result in overeating (47).

A recent hypothesis proposes that, in order to avoid reward deficiency, it might be beneficial for an individual to eat what he or she likes as long as this happens in the appropriate physiologic condition (i.e., when hungry) (52). As long as meal-time food intake meets energy as well as reward homeostasis, this could prevent overeating between meals.

This could be a key point for the success of the fast diet - we do not have to deny ourselves the things we fancy and this helps us to eat in the right context. Further, the comment about carbohydrate intake reinforces the advice from Dr M that we should keep to protein and vegetables on fast days.

This is really interesting - thanks!

Interesting

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/ ... eight-gain

I know since I started 5:2 my consumption of diet drinks has decreased by at least 90%.

Why is no one responding to your post? It is a hot topic these days. I say yes it does because anyone I know that loves the stuff is overweight. I won't comment too much on the article as there have been some others on the net today that dispute the study. Everyone is concerned about the current obesity epidemic around the world. Based on what I call my common sense the reason for this obesity problem is twofold. One, excess. We eat too much plain and simple. Two, mass produced chemical laden preserved foods not to mention hormones, pesticides and genetically mutated seeds that our bodies homeostasis can't deal with. Since starting 5:2 I have eaten less and include mostly whole foods and I am losing. Thankfully I only have a rare soda and not diet. My sugar cravings almost gone. Truth be told I do use 1 splenda in coffee even though a bit of cinnamon sweetens just as well. Bad habit? Perhaps that splenda slows my weight loss and yes I need to say bye bye to it. Thanks for your post.

I hate artificail sweetness. If have a soft drink it's a full fat one in moderation.
Maybe one a week

I think
They taste horrid
They are bad for you in the long term
They trick the body into craving more Salt and sugar

I drink sparkling water now with a little elder flower or lime cordial and feel sommuch better for it.

[carorees]

I think the reverse causality possibility makes the study impossible to interpret. Here's what Dr Peter Attia has to say about artificial sweeteners: http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/what ... ubstitutes

In an opinion piece published July 10 in the journal Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism,

Hmm, "opinion piece".

My opinion is that pop is for kids

Swithers said studies following people who regularly consume diet soft drinks over time have found that those people are at higher risk for weight gain and obesity than people who don't drink sodas at all.

Compared to people who avoid diet or regular soft drinks, diet soda drinkers also appear to have elevated risks for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome -- a group of symptoms that puts people at increased risk for those conditions.

Have any RCTs been done with one group on water and the other on diet drinks ?

But slimline tonic is for vodka-or gin!

But slimline tonic is for vodka-or gin!

if you drank the requisite quantities as a mixer you wouldn't be worrying about obesity so much as alcoholism

Phew, thanks for the link Carorees! I am a big diet coke drinker and trying to cut down and drink water instead but finding it hard, what Dr Attia has to say has made me feel less guilty about drinking diet drinks, I was stressing a bit from the reports of the other study.

The artificial sweetener debate is difficult to bear, since the opposition to artificial sweeteners is primarily made up by fearmongers who have no interest in science. It reminds me of the Al Gore mob.

I have not read every study on the topic, but I have read opinions of people whom I respect who possess great knowledge and have reviewed the body of studies on the topic. Neither of these people stand by the idea that artificial sweeteners are harmful or cause weight gain. Since this is an area which has been researched a lot I feel safe while consuming artificial sweeteners.

I wasn't sure the best place to post this: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/2 ... ealth&_r=0