Can artificial sweeteners still make you fat? - Diet & Nutrition Message Board

Replicon · 10-19-2008, 12:28 AM

Hi,

I'm wondering whether artificially-flavoured drinks like Crystal Light can still make you fat, in spite of having zero calories. Even though there are no calories, can some psychological perception of "consuming lots of something sweet" cause your body to go into fat storage mode and have many of the same negative effects as drinking fully-sugarific beverages?

Please avoid spiraling into a "you get cancer / no you don't" argument here

AuntieLeela · 10-22-2008, 10:35 AM

I think there are definite benefits to retraining your taste buds to a low sweets diet, wherever the sweet flavor is coming from.

It could be the low-calorie bevies and snacks trick folks into thinking they can binge on the "occasional" high fat foods. Am I the only one here who's eaten a snickers bar with a diet coke?

littleshelly · 10-23-2008, 01:17 AM

Absolutely. <removed> They are not only bad for you if you are trying to live a healthy life style and loose weight. They have many other negative effects on your health.

AlexaIn2006 · 10-24-2008, 10:08 PM

Yes, the reason is the chemicals that the artificial sweetners are made of mess up the body and wreak havoc. The metabolsim actually slows down because of the chemicals. Think about all of the money and products spent and used for weight loss, yet the rates of overweight and obsese people in this country are increasing at a rapid speed. It is because of all of the chemicals added to our foods. Most people eat highly processed foods and the fruits or vegetables that they may eat are usually coated in wax, injected with dye and were genetically modifed to grow faster and larger and sprayed with pesticide, insecticides. It comes down to the chemicals going into the body, it messes up the metabolism and leads to weight gain that it nor easily shed until you clean yourself out, eat organically and make a lifestyle change.

tamt · 10-25-2008, 10:48 PM

I've heard mixed things. Mainly the people that want you to buy it say nothings wrong with it like with those high fructose syrup commercials. (they fail to mention the crazy process to make it and the "Natural" genetically engineered corn they use) and there are people that have scientific evidence to back up claims that a product has a negative effect. Even if it is mild like bloating, gas or something. it's still a side effect. I don't want to poot more because of my chewing gum or be bloated after drinking a "diet" water? <removed>