I don't have much to do with diet foods, but I've used Equal instead of sugar in my coffee ever since the stuff first came out. I drink so much of it that I figured it couldn't help but make me lose weight. This bad news may help explain why I have not exactly become svelte:
In a study published this summer, researchers from the University of Alberta found young animals that became used to diet foods tended to overeat during meals of regular-calorie food.
The scientists suspect that diet foods disrupted the animals' ability to learn how various flavours correlate with calories. In other words, if you learn to associate sweet tastes with few calories, even a high-calorie dessert may fail to fill you up.
These findings may have implications for young children. It's possible that a regular fare of low-calorie snacks and diet soft drinks can prevent kids from learning how to regulate their food intake.
A study from Purdue University in Indiana also suggests that artificial sweeteners may weaken the body's natural ability to regulate calorie intake. Rats fed artificial sweeteners consumed three times more calories than those given sugar.
Thanks, Purdue, for ruining my day. Might as well have two doughnuts with my morning coffee.
