Those who drink more diet sodas also eat more fast foods and snacks

Study: People who consume light drinks often use junk food
Consumers who buy light drinks expect to do something good for their health as they also save calories. However, various studies have come to the conclusion that such sodas contain health risks. According to a new study, people who use light drinks also like stuffing feces.

Light drinks are worse than their reputation
Especially in young people, soft drinks are extremely popular. Many who like lemonades, but want to pay attention to their line, resort to sugar-free or reduced light drinks. However, various studies in recent years have shown that the sweetener contained therein promotes the risk of diabetes, and also the risk of stroke or heart attack can be increased if too many such drinks are consumed. Some say they make fat even thicker. And now researchers are reporting another risk: Even thin people are therefore at risk of becoming fatter as a result of light drinks, as they often resort to junk food.

Diet soda leads to increased fast-food consumption. (Image: Markus Mainka / fotolia.com)

Eating and drinking habits analyzed
This is reported by a research team led by Ruopeng An from the University of Illinois (USA) in the journal "Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics". For their study, the researchers analyzed the diet and drinking habits of more than 22,500 Americans, to whom they had provided information as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In addition, the diets of the study participants were evaluated. Special attention was paid to the beverage selection.

Satisfy with high calorie foods
Researchers found that on days when they drank primarily diet drinks and coffee, subjects consumed fewer calories than days when they consumed sugary sodas like cola. For this they stuffed more fast food and snacks. They fed so much unhealthier. The scientists think that this circumstance could have something to do with the so-called compensatory effect. The science journal Science Daily quotes Ruopeng An as saying that people who consume diet drinks may feel entitled to eat more. They therefore resort to a muffin or a bag of chips. Or they may need the high-calorie foods to be satisfied. The fact that people like to reward themselves for thinking that they have done something good was also shown recently by the study results of professors at the Harvard and Duke Business School: those who buy organic products often reward themselves with sweets. Conceivable in the current investigation but also the reverse conclusion: Perhaps people who eat unhealthy, want to calm their conscience with light drinks. (Ad)