Re: More bad news about diet soda

[Guest guest]

I find it interesting that Dr. Vassan leans toward the theory of consumption of

soft drinks

as a dietary marker. I have recently moved to the U.S. from Canada and am quite

shocked

at the level of obesity in this country. My wife is a primary school teacher

and her

observation is that the children learn poor eating habits at a young age due to

the lack of

health education at the primary level. Although the parents of these children

do not

specifically teach the kids to eat poorly, they accept poor eating behavior as

peer

conformity. She instituted a " wellness " project for her students and the

results were quite

remarkable. The children were talking to their parents about reading labels,

trans fats,

and fruit and vegatable intake. The subject of soft drink consumption was

included in the

subject matter but her observation was that this was the one area that was met

with the

most resistance or indifference - by students and parents alike. I hope that

more research

is planned in this area. My personal view is that this habit of soft drink

consumption is at

the root of the dietary problems in the U.S.. Families need to be made aware of

the risks of

supporting this behavior in young children. The cost of healthcare insurance is

rising at

about 10% per annum with deductibles and co-pays rising at the same rate. Given

the

current complexity of the US healthcare system and the lack of effective

government

regulation, preventative measures are a viable and cost effective way of

reducing overall

costs. This should start with the introduction of health education at the

primary level. I

think the health departments and education departments at the state level need

to come

together on this important topic.

>

> If increased risk of osteoporosis isn't bad enough to scare you away

> from it, how about cardiac risk? They warn, however, that we should

> not infer causality from their results:

>

> www.snipurl.com/dietsoda

>

> Drinking more than one soda a day -- even if it's the sugar-free diet

> kind -- is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic

> syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to the development of

> diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a study finds.

>

> The link to diet soda found in the study was " striking " but not

> entirely a surprise, said Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, study senior author

> and professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

> There had been some hints of it in earlier studies, he said.

>

> " But this is the first study to show the association in a prospective

> fashion and in a large population, " Vasan said.

>

> That population consisted of more than 6,000 participants in the

> Framingham Heart Study, which has been following residents of a

> Massachusetts town since 1948. When the soda portion of the study

> began, all participants were free of metabolic syndrome, a collection

> of risk factors including high blood pressure, elevated levels of the

> blood fats called triglycerides, low levels of the artery-protecting

> HDL cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar levels and excessive waist

> circumference. Metabolic syndrome is the presence of three or more of

> these risk factors.

>

> Over the four years of the study, people who consumed more than one

> soft drink of any kind a day were 44 percent more likely to develop

> metabolic syndrome than those who didn't drink a soda a day.

>

> The findings are published in the July 24 issue of the journal

> Circulation.

>

> A variety of explanations, none proven, have been proposed for the

> link between diet soft drink consumption and metabolic syndrome, Vasan

> said. That association was evident even when the researchers accounted

> for other factors, such as levels of saturated fat and fiber in the

> diet, total calorie intake, smoking and physical activity.

>

> One theory is that the high sweetness of all soft drinks makes a

> person more prone to eat sugary, fattening foods. Another is that the

> caramel content of soft drinks promotes metabolic changes that lead to

> insulin resistance. " These are hotly debated by nutritional experts, "

> Vasan said.

>

> Vasan, who noted that he is not a nutritional expert, said he leans

> toward the theory that " this is a marker of dietary behavior " -- that

> people who like to drink sweet soda also like to eat the kind of foods

> that cardiac nutritionists warn against.

>

> " But we cannot infer causality, " Vasan said, meaning there is no proof

> that soda itself is the villain. " We have an association. Maybe it is

> a causal one or maybe it is a marker of something else. "

>

> Carefully controlled animal studies might resolve the cause-and-effect

> issue, he said.

>

> Dr. G. Nabel, director of the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and

> Blood Institute, which funds the Framingham Heart Study, said in a

> prepared statement: " Other studies have shown that the extra calories

> and sugar in soft drinks contribute to weight gain, and therefore

> heart disease risk. This study echoes those findings by extending the

> link to all soft drinks and the metabolic syndrome. "

>

> Dr. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox

> Hill Hospital in New York City, said, " There is no safe way of eating

> junk food, just as we learned the lesson from trans fats and partially

> hydrogenated oils often found in fat-free or low-fat cookies. Diet

> soda does not protect us from the development of what we are trying to

> avoid by consuming it. "

>

[Guest guest]

Hi:

" My personal view is that this habit of soft drink consumption is at

the root of the dietary problems in the U.S.. "

Out of curiosity, what is the reasoning behind the above statement?

I have no strong opinion about this, and personally rarely drink soft

drinks. But people have to get their liquid intake from somewhere.

Back fifty years ago there was not much obesity, and milk was widely

advocated. But a litre of milk contains more calories than, for

example, a litre of Coca-Cola. So it is not obvious to me that the

rise in obesity stems from an increase in the consumption of calories

from things that are drunk.

But I am more than open to changing my mind about this.

Rodney.

> >

> > If increased risk of osteoporosis isn't bad enough to scare you

away

> > from it, how about cardiac risk? They warn, however, that we

should

> > not infer causality from their results:

> >

> > www.snipurl.com/dietsoda

> >

> > Drinking more than one soda a day -- even if it's the sugar-free

diet

> > kind -- is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic

> > syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to the development of

> > diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a study finds.

> >

> > The link to diet soda found in the study was " striking " but not

> > entirely a surprise, said Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, study senior

author

> > and professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

> > There had been some hints of it in earlier studies, he said.

> >

> > " But this is the first study to show the association in a

prospective

> > fashion and in a large population, " Vasan said.

> >

> > That population consisted of more than 6,000 participants in the

> > Framingham Heart Study, which has been following residents of a

> > Massachusetts town since 1948. When the soda portion of the study

> > began, all participants were free of metabolic syndrome, a

collection

> > of risk factors including high blood pressure, elevated levels of

the

> > blood fats called triglycerides, low levels of the artery-

protecting

> > HDL cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar levels and excessive

waist

> > circumference. Metabolic syndrome is the presence of three or

more of

> > these risk factors.

> >

> > Over the four years of the study, people who consumed more than

one

> > soft drink of any kind a day were 44 percent more likely to

develop

> > metabolic syndrome than those who didn't drink a soda a day.

> >

> > The findings are published in the July 24 issue of the journal

> > Circulation.

> >

> > A variety of explanations, none proven, have been proposed for the

> > link between diet soft drink consumption and metabolic syndrome,

Vasan

> > said. That association was evident even when the researchers

accounted

> > for other factors, such as levels of saturated fat and fiber in

the

> > diet, total calorie intake, smoking and physical activity.

> >

> > One theory is that the high sweetness of all soft drinks makes a

> > person more prone to eat sugary, fattening foods. Another is that

the

> > caramel content of soft drinks promotes metabolic changes that

lead to

> > insulin resistance. " These are hotly debated by nutritional

experts, "

> > Vasan said.

> >

> > Vasan, who noted that he is not a nutritional expert, said he

leans

> > toward the theory that " this is a marker of dietary behavior " --

that

> > people who like to drink sweet soda also like to eat the kind of

foods

> > that cardiac nutritionists warn against.

> >

> > " But we cannot infer causality, " Vasan said, meaning there is no

proof

> > that soda itself is the villain. " We have an association. Maybe

it is

> > a causal one or maybe it is a marker of something else. "

> >

> > Carefully controlled animal studies might resolve the cause-and-

effect

> > issue, he said.

> >

> > Dr. G. Nabel, director of the U.S. National Heart,

Lung, and

> > Blood Institute, which funds the Framingham Heart Study, said in a

> > prepared statement: " Other studies have shown that the extra

calories

> > and sugar in soft drinks contribute to weight gain, and therefore

> > heart disease risk. This study echoes those findings by extending

the

> > link to all soft drinks and the metabolic syndrome. "

> >

> > Dr. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease at

Lenox

> > Hill Hospital in New York City, said, " There is no safe way of

eating

> > junk food, just as we learned the lesson from trans fats and

partially

> > hydrogenated oils often found in fat-free or low-fat cookies. Diet

> > soda does not protect us from the development of what we are

trying to

> > avoid by consuming it. "

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I have absoluely ZERO formal education in nutrition but...IMHO....

I think there's lots to be said about " man-made " foods

versus " natural " foods and I think perhaps....maybe??...therein lies

some reasoning that soda versus milk might contribute to obesity?

Kool-Aid can probably be just as " harmful " as soda??

We gave up soda a year ago and now it really does taste " chemical " to

me and my husband.

I really don't know but I truly believe the more

greens/veggies/beans/legumes and " natural " foods, less meat and fried

or processed foods we eat, the healthier and usually slimmer we are.

Toni

> > >

> > > If increased risk of osteoporosis isn't bad enough to scare you

> away

> > > from it, how about cardiac risk? They warn, however, that we

> should

> > > not infer causality from their results:

> > >

> > > www.snipurl.com/dietsoda

> > >

> > > Drinking more than one soda a day -- even if it's the sugar-

free

> diet

> > > kind -- is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic

> > > syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to the development of

> > > diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a study finds.

> > >

> > > The link to diet soda found in the study was " striking " but not

> > > entirely a surprise, said Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, study senior

> author

> > > and professor of medicine at Boston University School of

Medicine.

> > > There had been some hints of it in earlier studies, he said.

> > >

> > > " But this is the first study to show the association in a

> prospective

> > > fashion and in a large population, " Vasan said.

> > >

> > > That population consisted of more than 6,000 participants in the

> > > Framingham Heart Study, which has been following residents of a

> > > Massachusetts town since 1948. When the soda portion of the

study

> > > began, all participants were free of metabolic syndrome, a

> collection

> > > of risk factors including high blood pressure, elevated levels

of

> the

> > > blood fats called triglycerides, low levels of the artery-

> protecting

> > > HDL cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar levels and excessive

> waist

> > > circumference. Metabolic syndrome is the presence of three or

> more of

> > > these risk factors.

> > >

> > > Over the four years of the study, people who consumed more than

> one

> > > soft drink of any kind a day were 44 percent more likely to

> develop

> > > metabolic syndrome than those who didn't drink a soda a day.

> > >

> > > The findings are published in the July 24 issue of the journal

> > > Circulation.

> > >

> > > A variety of explanations, none proven, have been proposed for

the

> > > link between diet soft drink consumption and metabolic

syndrome,

> Vasan

> > > said. That association was evident even when the researchers

> accounted

> > > for other factors, such as levels of saturated fat and fiber in

> the

> > > diet, total calorie intake, smoking and physical activity.

> > >

> > > One theory is that the high sweetness of all soft drinks makes a

> > > person more prone to eat sugary, fattening foods. Another is

that

> the

> > > caramel content of soft drinks promotes metabolic changes that

> lead to

> > > insulin resistance. " These are hotly debated by nutritional

> experts, "

> > > Vasan said.

> > >

> > > Vasan, who noted that he is not a nutritional expert, said he

> leans

> > > toward the theory that " this is a marker of dietary behavior " --

> that

> > > people who like to drink sweet soda also like to eat the kind

of

> foods

> > > that cardiac nutritionists warn against.

> > >

> > > " But we cannot infer causality, " Vasan said, meaning there is

no

> proof

> > > that soda itself is the villain. " We have an association. Maybe

> it is

> > > a causal one or maybe it is a marker of something else. "

> > >

> > > Carefully controlled animal studies might resolve the cause-and-

> effect

> > > issue, he said.

> > >

> > > Dr. G. Nabel, director of the U.S. National Heart,

> Lung, and

> > > Blood Institute, which funds the Framingham Heart Study, said

in a

> > > prepared statement: " Other studies have shown that the extra

> calories

> > > and sugar in soft drinks contribute to weight gain, and

therefore

> > > heart disease risk. This study echoes those findings by

extending

> the

> > > link to all soft drinks and the metabolic syndrome. "

> > >

> > > Dr. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease

at

> Lenox

> > > Hill Hospital in New York City, said, " There is no safe way of

> eating

> > > junk food, just as we learned the lesson from trans fats and

> partially

> > > hydrogenated oils often found in fat-free or low-fat cookies.

Diet

> > > soda does not protect us from the development of what we are

> trying to

> > > avoid by consuming it. "

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Francesca:

Are you saying the BP meds are making him hungrier?

Or, which I believe is the alternative, do you believe he has found

the solution to the energy crisis? (Has discovered how to create fat

out of energy from nowhere).

As of course we all know, losing weight requires eating less (mainly)

and/or exercising more (the latter will make a comparatively small

difference, unless running marathons regularly).

Almost all of us have trouble trying to eat less. I have been trying

to get down to a BMI of 20·6 since last October and, what with one

thing and another, my abdomen measurement has gone UP by an inch and

a half. So I am still trying.

What I have found over the years is that eating less suddenly becomes

much less difficult after making little progress for the first nine

to twelve months of trying. So for me the answer is to just keep on

making the effort until I succeed. Which eventually I do .......

or have historically, at least. I know others who have noticed the

same phenomenon.

For the vast majority, controlling weight is very difficult. For a

large majority, apparently, based on the visual evidence, it is

simply impossible. To control weight one must be able to NOT open

the refridgerator door each time one passes, no matter how much one

might like to.

It seems to me there is no easy solution. If it was easy everyone

would be slim. Right?

Rodney.

PS: Following the posts a while back about visceral fat, I am

beginning to wonder if the ratio of abdomen circumference (measured

at navel level) to height may be a better criterion than waist-to-

height (waist defined as the narrowest circumference). My thought is

that the navel circumference may somewhat better reflect visceral fat?

> Well I have a ³catch 22² to throw out to the group. My husband has

to take

> BP meds. (He started having HBP when he was younger and on the thin

side).

> The beta blockers have side effects, such as weight gain. He¹s now

about 30

> lbs overweight due to the meds. He exercises, eats well etc

(especially

> after having had a couple of medical ³scares²). I¹ve asked the doc

about

> changing his meds to something that wouldn¹t promote weight gain.

But it

> took months of experimenting before his current group of meds

brought down

> his bp, so the doc is reluctant to fool with it.

>

> I have thought about this for a long time but not sure what to do

about it.

> The excess weight unfortunately is around (where else?) the abdomen.

>

> --------------------------------------

>

>

> From: <crjohnr@...>

> Reply-< >

> Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:31:20 -0500

> < >

> Subject: Re: [ ] Re: More bad news about diet soda

>

>

>

>

>

> IMO, far too many variables to pin the tail on diet soda...  

>

> People need to spend less time looking for magic trees, and check

out the

> forest... 

>

> too much food and not enough physical activity is an adequate

explanation

> for epidemic obesity..

>

> JR 

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Toni:

Almost everyone here, including me, can agree with almost all your

statement below. (You will fit in well here, lol)

But I can say for certain (I have measured it!) that I would have no

trouble weighing over 300 pounds if I did not carefully control my

intake of the foods you mention.

Healthier, for certain. Slimmer? Only with considerable restraint

in my case.

Haven't seen you here before. Welcome!

Rodney.

> > > >

> > > > If increased risk of osteoporosis isn't bad enough to scare

you

> > away

> > > > from it, how about cardiac risk? They warn, however, that we

> > should

> > > > not infer causality from their results:

> > > >

> > > > www.snipurl.com/dietsoda

> > > >

> > > > Drinking more than one soda a day -- even if it's the sugar-

> free

> > diet

> > > > kind -- is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic

> > > > syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to the development

of

> > > > diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a study finds.

> > > >

> > > > The link to diet soda found in the study was " striking " but

not

> > > > entirely a surprise, said Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, study

senior

> > author

> > > > and professor of medicine at Boston University School of

> Medicine.

> > > > There had been some hints of it in earlier studies, he said.

> > > >

> > > > " But this is the first study to show the association in a

> > prospective

> > > > fashion and in a large population, " Vasan said.

> > > >

> > > > That population consisted of more than 6,000 participants in

the

> > > > Framingham Heart Study, which has been following residents of

a

> > > > Massachusetts town since 1948. When the soda portion of the

> study

> > > > began, all participants were free of metabolic syndrome, a

> > collection

> > > > of risk factors including high blood pressure, elevated

levels

> of

> > the

> > > > blood fats called triglycerides, low levels of the artery-

> > protecting

> > > > HDL cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar levels and

excessive

> > waist

> > > > circumference. Metabolic syndrome is the presence of three or

> > more of

> > > > these risk factors.

> > > >

> > > > Over the four years of the study, people who consumed more

than

> > one

> > > > soft drink of any kind a day were 44 percent more likely to

> > develop

> > > > metabolic syndrome than those who didn't drink a soda a day.

> > > >

> > > > The findings are published in the July 24 issue of the journal

> > > > Circulation.

> > > >

> > > > A variety of explanations, none proven, have been proposed

for

> the

> > > > link between diet soft drink consumption and metabolic

> syndrome,

> > Vasan

> > > > said. That association was evident even when the researchers

> > accounted

> > > > for other factors, such as levels of saturated fat and fiber

in

> > the

> > > > diet, total calorie intake, smoking and physical activity.

> > > >

> > > > One theory is that the high sweetness of all soft drinks

makes a

> > > > person more prone to eat sugary, fattening foods. Another is

> that

> > the

> > > > caramel content of soft drinks promotes metabolic changes

that

> > lead to

> > > > insulin resistance. " These are hotly debated by nutritional

> > experts, "

> > > > Vasan said.

> > > >

> > > > Vasan, who noted that he is not a nutritional expert, said he

> > leans

> > > > toward the theory that " this is a marker of dietary

behavior " --

>

> > that

> > > > people who like to drink sweet soda also like to eat the kind

> of

> > foods

> > > > that cardiac nutritionists warn against.

> > > >

> > > > " But we cannot infer causality, " Vasan said, meaning there is

> no

> > proof

> > > > that soda itself is the villain. " We have an association.

Maybe

> > it is

> > > > a causal one or maybe it is a marker of something else. "

> > > >

> > > > Carefully controlled animal studies might resolve the cause-

and-

> > effect

> > > > issue, he said.

> > > >

> > > > Dr. G. Nabel, director of the U.S. National Heart,

> > Lung, and

> > > > Blood Institute, which funds the Framingham Heart Study, said

> in a

> > > > prepared statement: " Other studies have shown that the extra

> > calories

> > > > and sugar in soft drinks contribute to weight gain, and

> therefore

> > > > heart disease risk. This study echoes those findings by

> extending

> > the

> > > > link to all soft drinks and the metabolic syndrome. "

> > > >

> > > > Dr. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease

> at

> > Lenox

> > > > Hill Hospital in New York City, said, " There is no safe way

of

> > eating

> > > > junk food, just as we learned the lesson from trans fats and

> > partially

> > > > hydrogenated oils often found in fat-free or low-fat cookies.

> Diet

> > > > soda does not protect us from the development of what we are

> > trying to

> > > > avoid by consuming it. "

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

My own experience with meds making me fat and what I did about it is

this:

Nine years ago I gained 15 pounds after doing chemotherapy for breast

cancer. This is not uncommon: http://snipurl.com/1or65.

I chalked it up to increased snacking to quell the 24/7 queasiness. A

similar thing happened when I was pregnant, and I fully expected to

lose the weight again once the 6 month chemo regime was over, like I

did after having the babies. Four years later I had not lost the

weight and in fact had gained a tiny bit more. Then I blamed it on

the chemo making me post-menopausal.

Once I started charting my calorie intake, the real reason for the

weight gain was clear. Sure, my BMR was lower because of age and PM

status, but my calorie intake was enough to sustain the new weight.

Careful monitoring of everything I put in my mouth was the only way I

found to lose it. It's a pain, but it works.

Eating low energy density foods and staying away from high glycemic

foods keeps me from feeling hungry and makes me feel better, too.

Diane

>

>

>

>

>

> Well I have a ³catch 22² to throw out to the group. My husband has

to take

> BP meds. (He started having HBP when he was younger and on the thin

side).

> The beta blockers have side effects, such as weight gain. He¹s now

about 30

> lbs overweight due to the meds. He exercises, eats well etc (especially

> after having had a couple of medical ³scares²). I¹ve asked the doc

about

> changing his meds to something that wouldn¹t promote weight gain.

But it

> took months of experimenting before his current group of meds

brought down

> his bp, so the doc is reluctant to fool with it.

>

> I have thought about this for a long time but not sure what to do

about it.

> The excess weight unfortunately is around (where else?) the abdomen.

>

> --------------------------------------

>

>

> From: <crjohnr@...>

> Reply-< >

> Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:31:20 -0500

> < >

> Subject: Re: [ ] Re: More bad news about diet soda

>

>

>

>

>

> IMO, far too many variables to pin the tail on diet soda...

>

> People need to spend less time looking for magic trees, and check

out the

> forest...

>

> too much food and not enough physical activity is an adequate

explanation

> for epidemic obesity..

>

> JR

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Rodney! Thanks for your response!

Perhaps you have opened my eyes to something new here???? For me and

my husband it's just not possible for us to consume too much veggies,

beans, lentils and greens and GAIN weight. We eat them in natural

form or cooked/steamed, and beans are usually sprouted and eaten raw

but sometimes cooked. We're really big on spices--a key in

eliminating lots of calories. Maybe one teaspoon of olive oil a

day.

But really is it possible to GAIN weight on natural foods? I just

made the assumption it's not possible because I started eating this

way when I was 15 and determined for myself never to be

medically " grossly obese " as my family members or to suffer their

chronic health conditions.

Wow. If it's true, it just never occured to me.

For the record: We each consume one pound leafy greens a day. One-

half pound with lunch, one-half pound with dinner. We don't buy ANY

processed foods and bring them home. If we want a " treat, " we have

to go get it. Otherwise it's fruits which are in the house.

Nope....no bread, no crackers. Nothing " white " including cheese or

white rice. Pretty much if it doesn't come from the earth or ocean

itself, we don't eat it. Haven't been to a Mc's since 1986.

But perhaps I have been so naive to believe " if the world only ate

like us.....everyone would be thin " --because with all the greens and

then the added vegetables...we're REALLY stuffed. Any fish/chicken is

truly a " side dish. " Beans/lentils are the normal protein 5-6 days

of the week.

I'm still a size 3 junior (boys size 14)--the size I wore when I

graduated high school....more than 20 years ago.... 5'6 " and almost

ready to kiss year #40. BMI 18.9. I've always believed it was my

lifestyle because I don't have a family member who even fits the

description of " chunky. " They all fit the medical term of " grossly

obese " (not just overweight or obese.... " grossly obese). Perhaps I

was wrong to assume??????????

Toni

> > > > >

> > > > > If increased risk of osteoporosis isn't bad enough to scare

> you

> > > away

> > > > > from it, how about cardiac risk? They warn, however, that

we

> > > should

> > > > > not infer causality from their results:

> > > > >

> > > > > www.snipurl.com/dietsoda

> > > > >

> > > > > Drinking more than one soda a day -- even if it's the sugar-

> > free

> > > diet

> > > > > kind -- is associated with an increased incidence of

metabolic

> > > > > syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to the

development

> of

> > > > > diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a study finds.

> > > > >

> > > > > The link to diet soda found in the study was " striking " but

> not

> > > > > entirely a surprise, said Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, study

> senior

> > > author

> > > > > and professor of medicine at Boston University School of

> > Medicine.

> > > > > There had been some hints of it in earlier studies, he said.

> > > > >

> > > > > " But this is the first study to show the association in a

> > > prospective

> > > > > fashion and in a large population, " Vasan said.

> > > > >

> > > > > That population consisted of more than 6,000 participants

in

> the

> > > > > Framingham Heart Study, which has been following residents

of

> a

> > > > > Massachusetts town since 1948. When the soda portion of the

> > study

> > > > > began, all participants were free of metabolic syndrome, a

> > > collection

> > > > > of risk factors including high blood pressure, elevated

> levels

> > of

> > > the

> > > > > blood fats called triglycerides, low levels of the artery-

> > > protecting

> > > > > HDL cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar levels and

> excessive

> > > waist

> > > > > circumference. Metabolic syndrome is the presence of three

or

> > > more of

> > > > > these risk factors.

> > > > >

> > > > > Over the four years of the study, people who consumed more

> than

> > > one

> > > > > soft drink of any kind a day were 44 percent more likely to

> > > develop

> > > > > metabolic syndrome than those who didn't drink a soda a day.

> > > > >

> > > > > The findings are published in the July 24 issue of the

journal

> > > > > Circulation.

> > > > >

> > > > > A variety of explanations, none proven, have been proposed

> for

> > the

> > > > > link between diet soft drink consumption and metabolic

> > syndrome,

> > > Vasan

> > > > > said. That association was evident even when the

researchers

> > > accounted

> > > > > for other factors, such as levels of saturated fat and

fiber

> in

> > > the

> > > > > diet, total calorie intake, smoking and physical activity.

> > > > >

> > > > > One theory is that the high sweetness of all soft drinks

> makes a

> > > > > person more prone to eat sugary, fattening foods. Another

is

> > that

> > > the

> > > > > caramel content of soft drinks promotes metabolic changes

> that

> > > lead to

> > > > > insulin resistance. " These are hotly debated by nutritional

> > > experts, "

> > > > > Vasan said.

> > > > >

> > > > > Vasan, who noted that he is not a nutritional expert, said

he

> > > leans

> > > > > toward the theory that " this is a marker of dietary

> behavior " --

> >

> > > that

> > > > > people who like to drink sweet soda also like to eat the

kind

> > of

> > > foods

> > > > > that cardiac nutritionists warn against.

> > > > >

> > > > > " But we cannot infer causality, " Vasan said, meaning there

is

> > no

> > > proof

> > > > > that soda itself is the villain. " We have an association.

> Maybe

> > > it is

> > > > > a causal one or maybe it is a marker of something else. "

> > > > >

> > > > > Carefully controlled animal studies might resolve the cause-

> and-

> > > effect

> > > > > issue, he said.

> > > > >

> > > > > Dr. G. Nabel, director of the U.S. National

Heart,

> > > Lung, and

> > > > > Blood Institute, which funds the Framingham Heart Study,

said

> > in a

> > > > > prepared statement: " Other studies have shown that the

extra

> > > calories

> > > > > and sugar in soft drinks contribute to weight gain, and

> > therefore

> > > > > heart disease risk. This study echoes those findings by

> > extending

> > > the

> > > > > link to all soft drinks and the metabolic syndrome. "

> > > > >

> > > > > Dr. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart

Disease

> > at

> > > Lenox

> > > > > Hill Hospital in New York City, said, " There is no safe way

> of

> > > eating

> > > > > junk food, just as we learned the lesson from trans fats

and

> > > partially

> > > > > hydrogenated oils often found in fat-free or low-fat

cookies.

> > Diet

> > > > > soda does not protect us from the development of what we

are

> > > trying to

> > > > > avoid by consuming it. "

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Re: More bad news about diet soda

Posted by: " majere@... " majere@...

Majere wrote -

Try Risperadal, an anti-psychotic as an example for wieght gain problems. Wife

went from 120 at 5 Foot 4 inches and ballooned up to 180 in a matter of months.

Since I am around her 24/7, I seen her eat on average maybe 500 kal per day. She

was have great difficulty eating due to other med issues but I kept up the

mult-vits and other suppliments to keeep her alive until finally properly

diagnosed.

--------------

Hi Majere

Would you consider measuring everything your wife eats in one day and recording

it in nutrition software such as FitDay or CRON-O-Meter? You would arrive at a

more correct estimate for the calories she consumes. 500 calories per day is

extremely low, so I assume that is an error. It may be that she eats as before

but the medications slow down her metabolism, but 500 calories a day has got to

be an incorrect number.

Cheers,

Arturo

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Rodney! Thanks for your response!

>

> Perhaps you have opened my eyes to something new here???? For me

and

> my husband it's just not possible for us to consume too much

veggies,

> beans, lentils and greens and GAIN weight. We eat them in natural

> form or cooked/steamed, and beans are usually sprouted and eaten

raw

> but sometimes cooked. We're really big on spices--a key in

> eliminating lots of calories. Maybe one teaspoon of olive oil a

> day.

>

> But really is it possible to GAIN weight on natural foods? I just

> made the assumption it's not possible because I started eating this

> way when I was 15 and determined for myself never to be

> medically " grossly obese " as my family members or to suffer their

> chronic health conditions.

>

> Wow. If it's true, it just never occured to me.

>

> For the record: We each consume one pound leafy greens a day. One-

> half pound with lunch, one-half pound with dinner. We don't buy

ANY

> processed foods and bring them home. If we want a " treat, " we have

> to go get it. Otherwise it's fruits which are in the house.

> Nope....no bread, no crackers. Nothing " white " including cheese or

> white rice. Pretty much if it doesn't come from the earth or ocean

> itself, we don't eat it. Haven't been to a Mc's since 1986.

>

> But perhaps I have been so naive to believe " if the world only ate

> like us.....everyone would be thin " --because with all the greens

and

> then the added vegetables...we're REALLY stuffed. Any fish/chicken

is

> truly a " side dish. " Beans/lentils are the normal protein 5-6 days

> of the week.

The pound of veggies sounds like the http://eat2live.notlong.com

plan from Dr. Fuhrman. Are you intentionally following that or

is it just by accident that it fits so closely his recommendations?

-

[Guest guest]

:

I follow generally a diet that was written about 3400 years ago.

Discovered it at 15 in the story of and the Levitical dietary

code. The same year two of my aunts had gastric bypass and

immediately right after surgery wished they hadn't. One got it

reversed. We all trotted off to church. It was a great year but I

was determined never to have to suffer their illnesses related to

obesity.

Since then, I've been asked what diet I follow: vegetarian, anti-

Adkins, Maker's, and now…. Furhman. It's . Not 100%. But

that's where my " base " is. I'm only now hitting my 4th decade of

life—looking at and learning about micro-nutrition/optimum

nutrition.

I was born in a hospital on a dirt road in the Midwest. It was

almost 1970. We heated with wood all my life and I cooked all my

breakfasts on the cast iron cook stove. Evening meals and holiday

feasts were prepared in the oven of the cast iron cook stove. Mom

still lives there in that same house and she finally got a gas

furnace the year after Dad passed away. (She still uses the cook

stove.) The furnace arrived in 1999. I didn't know what

a " thermostat " was for heating a house until I moved away after I'd

graduated high school and moved out of the state—it was the second

half of the 1980s. We had one milk cow and bred her every other

year to get a steer to raise to slaughter. On the opposite year, we

got a runt or rejected piglet the farmer 2 miles down the road and

raised it to slaughter. One year we ate beef. The next was pork.

In the winters, when meat got slim and thanks to the local county

sheriff, when someone would hit a deer, we'd get a call in the middle

of the night. We'd all get up as a family, hang the deer for

slaughter and process it right on the dining room table. It was a

feast for us and a joyful change from the constant beef or constant

pork. Some years the phone never rang. We fished A LOT during the

summer.

Vegetables, rice and beans have been a lifetime " staple " because

we were so poor and Mom dished them out by the cupful at lunch and

dinner which equated to about a pound of each a day. We also got a

cup of " starch " at dinner: rice/beans/potatoes. It allowed the meat

to stretch through to the next butcher.

At 15 I discovered after family health crises. I gave up

eating the " varmints. " The older I get the wiser I get (wiser for

me). So call it . Call it Levitical. Call it being raised

poor and no other choice. Call it Maker's Diet. Call it Mom's or

call it Fuhrman. But Mom, in a way, started it all before I could

even read.

I'm just on my way to " Optimum Nutrition. " It's a lifelong journey.

Toni

>

> The pound of veggies sounds like the http://eat2live.notlong.com

> plan from Dr. Fuhrman. Are you intentionally following that or

> is it just by accident that it fits so closely his recommendations?

>

> -

>