does diet soda cause weight gain?
115996
I understand that it does. The diet sodas are not satisfying a craving for sweets, so many who drink diet sodas tend to snack on a lot of other things. They tend to think that with all the calories they're saving with the soda, they will not be as affected by the "alternate" sweets.\n\nBottom line, diet sodas are just a lot of chemicals in water.\n\nUPDATE, 2/5/06: According to an 8-year review of diet and health parameters of nearly 1,200 people, a whopping 57 percent of those who drank two or more cans of diet soda every day became overweight.\n\nBut among those who drank the same amount of full-calorie soda, only 47 percent became overweight.\n\nThe figures were collected by Dr. Sharon Fowler and her colleagues at the University of Texas Health and Science Center in San Antonio.\n\nThe experts are unsure what explains this surprising result. They speculate that diet soda drinkers may feel they are saving calories on soda and therefore allow themselves to eat other more high-calorie foods. \n\nOr there could be something in diet soda that increases hunger.
866731
try to cut down on the coke intake-i know this can be hard. caffeine and sugar not only effect teeth but your organs as well.\n\nfor example-caffeine speeds up your heartrate, making your heart pump faster which in turn raises your blood pressure. if you are drinking alot of caffeine throughout the day-your heart is getting more of a workout than it needs.\n\nsugar can also cause unwanted weight gain.\n\nas far as your teeth go..\n-drink your soda through a straw-this will help the liquid bypass getting in between your teeth and breaking down the enamel.\n-make sure to brush a minimum of 3 times a day\n-floss at least once a day\n-rinse your mouth out with water after finishing the soda if you are unable to brush\n-make sure to see the dentist once every 6 months and ask about getting the special sealant put on them to protect them from cavities\n\nwater is the best thing for you but i know most of us out there don't drink as much as we should (me included). and on the occasion-we need that quick "pick me up" that the caffeine in soda provides.\n\nif you can't stop drinking the coke-at least try stepping down to diet. i didn't think i would be able to but that was 2 years ago and i can't stand regular soda now. coke makes their diet with splenda so it doesn't taste too different.
48597
The body is 90% water.  By drinking water, you are filling your stomach up thus telling your brain that you are not hungry which cuts down on the amount of calories you eat.  Also, water has 0 calories.  If you stop drinking soda and only drink water, the weight will fly off.  It also flushes out the impurities in your body and keeps your other organs strong.  I did this and lost 10lbs in 2 weeks and it didnt come back.  Hope that helps.
512045
diet drinks have aspartame in them which causes symptoms of fibromyalgia... which is a muscular disorder.
49106
1.- Eating then sleeping will make you gain fat. \n2.- Skipping meals or not eating for long periods of time will make you gain fat. \n3.- Drinking soft drinks (even diet drinks) with fatty foods will make you gain fat. \n4.- Constant snacking on energy foods will make you gain fat\n5.- Stress without physical exertion will make you gain fat.\n6.- Toxic substances in your food will make you gain fat\n7.- Losing muscle mass will make you gain fat.\n8.- Overconsumption of fructose will make you gain fat
341895
NO MORE SUGAR SODA....Stop that and lose 20lbs in a few months.
300966
No, that's not true at all. However, the diet sodas that use the artificial sweetener Aspartame in place of sugar have been accused in regards to various health complications, but most are groundless.\n\nAspartame is marketed under several trademark names including NutraSweet, Equal, and CANDEREL.\n\nIt is well-known that aspartame contains the naturally-occurring amino acid phenylalanine, which is a health hazard to the few people born with phenylketonuria, a genetic inability to process phenylalanine.\n\nOther than that, there have been a couple of studies that have reccomended further investigation to the ties between Aspartame and diseases such as brain tumors, brain lesions, and lymphoma, but all claims are still to be confirmed.\n\nThe tests performed to question these said claims involve much higher doses of Aspartame than what one would consume in an ordinary soft drink, however, and therefore people who drink diet pop are at a slim to none risk of any cancerous diseases.
1087535
YES!!!  Absolutely.  Diet Coke, unless it's "caffeine free," has just as much caffeine as regular Coke, and caffeine increases heart rate which can trigger and/or intensify anxiety.  My boyfriend used to suffer from anxiety attacks, and he found that caffeine could trigger them. \n\nHere's the math:  Soda generally contains between 10-50mg of caffeine per serving--  but if you're having 64 ounces (or 5 cans) per day and there are 2 servings per can, that's 100-500mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to about 2 cups of caffeinated coffee... That's a significant intake, even by itself!\n\nSo I would suggest, based on that, to cut back your intake of caffeine per day.  I recommend switching to "caffeine free" diet coke.
17424
Coke, not diet coke, contains high fructose corn syrup which is implicated in obesity as well as type 2 diabetes and hyperinsulinemia.  On the plus side, consumption of high fructose corn syrup with alcohol helps to reduce hangover the next day, by speeding the metabolism of alcohol.\n\nCaffeine, which is in both Coke and Diet Coke, has been shown to have positive mental and physical effects in moderate doses.\n\nCoke is also bad for your teeth.  It has phosphoric acid and probably some other acidic compounds that can take a toll on the enamel of your teeth.
66872
Of couse you cannot store calories as fat if there are no calories in the diet soda. However, all the other things in the drink are not good for you. Phosphoric acid eats tooth enamel, may harm your stomach lining, and lowers the body's ph (acid/alkaline balance). Something to avoid.\n\n"Drink water instead. If you like the bubbles, get sparkling water."\n\nThe key to all healthy weight loss is definately physical exercise and a decent diet. Eat well and try to get in some cardio at least 3 times per week...
908154
Try drinking Ensure.  A lot of times it's sold next to the pharmacy.  Ask the pharmacist how much to drink to gain healthy weight.  Also, I have a friend who's naturally very thin.  When she loses a few pounds, she eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a snack between meals to gain the weight back.  I don't really know why this works for her, but it does.  It's worth a try.
526422
No. As a depressant it is more likely to cause you to gain weight.
248163
I say take baby steps, it will be easier and not so overwhelming. First, stop drinking soda-pop, completely. Never touch the stuff and may not lose weight, but it will help you from gaining more. \n\nAfter you get used to not drinking soda, move on to other things, like fast food and sweets. Try and stay away from processed foods. You can eat things with fat in them or even fried, as long as they are fresh and not fast food. \n\nAs for exercise, I suggest finding a local YWCA or park district program that has some physical activity you like to do. Say kick-boxing, yoga or a traditional sport (volleyball). Sign-up for a class or two so that you are going out to do something you like at least two times a week. Days you don't have class, make sure you stretch out everyday at home. This will keep you limber and help workout any soreness that you'll have when you first start. \n\nNext get a scale and a mirror. Look at yourself in the mirror and take note of your physical improvements. Overall it is important to keep motivation high. You get that from doing things you like to do and stepping on the scale every week and watching the pounds fall off. \n\nGood luck.
741214
Even when you want to gain weight, your calories should come from foods that are good for you.\n\n- Cut out empty calorie foods such as sugary snacks and white flour foods. Breads, pastas and cereals should come from whole grains.\n- Good sources of protein include organic meats, fish, and organic poultry.\n- Drink protein-rich beverages (e.g. milk-based fruit shakes).\n- Have fruit juices between meals.\n- Munch on nuts and seeds, which are high in calories and many other nutrients.\n- Increase the number of meals per day to 5 or 6 small balanced meals.\n\nProtein powders and shakes can be added as meals. Some are flavored and only need added water and some others can blended with water or your choice of juices to improve the taste. It would be a plus to add a small amount of flax seed oil and some psillium powder to add some healthy fiber. \n\nYou may find these sites helpful:\nhttp://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/pdfs/gaining_weight.pdf\nhttp://www.suplimednutrients.com/articles/healthy-weight-gain.php\n\nGood luck...
889591
This is rarely a balanced debate, so here are the facts.\n\nWater is the best thing for you.\n\nMost soda is very acid (phosphoric acid, citric acid, etc etc) and will damage your teeth and possibly your bones. This is true of regular or diet versions.\n\nThere is a lot of hype and hearsay evidence about the side-effects of aspartame but very little real evidence from clinical trials. However, there was a study in Italy last year that linked it with cancer in rats.\n\nSaccharine was linked with cancer back in the 70s and was withdrawn briefly. It is back on the market now and very little new evidence has arisen.\n\nSucralose and Acesulfame K are the new kids on the block. Best to avoid until some evidence is gathered one way or another.\n\nSugar in large quantities has two clear health risks - obesity and diabetes. There is no argument about these effects and they kill and disable many people every year.\n\nOn balance of risk, artificial sweeteners are safer than sugar. Overall, I'd choose to drink something else entirely.\n\nPS: Aspartame contains phenylalanine, which is an essential amino acid. It is found in all kinds of natural, protein-rich foods. Most of us metabolize it very well and it causes no harm. People with phenylketonuria are missing the enzyme needed to metabolize it and it builds up in their bodies and causes mental retardation.
214581
Teens (and some of us older people - looks in the mirror) can gain weight by drinking too much Mountain Dew.
475330
take food supplement for weight gain