A diet soda a day keeps the pounds away!

Trying to shed a few pounds? Grab a diet soda! According to a study recently published in the International Journal of Obesity, the consumption of beverages containing low-calorie sweeteners increases dietary restraint, a key aspect of successful weight maintenance. Researchers analyzed calorie, protein, carbohydrate, fat and beverage intake, as well as the dietary restraint of over 300 individuals. Their conclusion? "Our findings...suggest that the use of artificially sweetened beverages may be an important weight control strategy among WLM [weight loss maintainers]." This research builds upon the findings from a 2002 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which found consumers of sugar substitutes had significantly greater weight loss compared with participants who did not consume sugar substitutes.
Numerous studies over the years have shown that products sweetened with sugar substitutes can help with weight management. For example, drinking a diet soda instead of the regular version can save 150 calories a day. Over the course of a year, that daily calorie savings could result in a 15-pound weight loss. In fact, the vast majority of scientific literature confirms the safety and benefits of using low-calorie sweeteners and low-calorie products for weight control and weight loss.
For example, a team of researchers from Harvard spent two years investigating how the addition of aspartame to a multidisciplinary weight control program would affect obese women. They found the low-calorie sweetener not only helped with weight loss, but also with long-term weight loss maintenance. Still need more proof? Another study – published in Pediatrics – discovered that overweight children could prevent further weight gain simply by walking another 2,000 steps a day and reducing their calorie intake by 100. This was done by replacing sugar with Splenda and consuming beverages sweetened with sucralose.
Low-calorie sweeteners can help combat obesity because they reduce the energy density of foods while maintaining the palatability. However, they are not a magic bullet. A person who drinks 12 diet sodas a day or regularly consumes a gallon of sugar-free ice cream should not expect to lose weight. Instead, low-calorie sweeteners are another tool to incorporate into an overall healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and a balanced diet.
So enjoy your diet pop. It will do your body - and your waistline - good.