soogar said:
Off topic, but researchers need to retool their research. Diet Coke does not make people fat. Rather it's the person's mentality that since the drink is calorie free, it gives them permission to eat more food. So maybe normally they wouldn't have a dessert after downing a Big Mac and fries with a regular coke, but will treat themselves to an ice cream if they have a diet coke.
I don't like research like this because it misleads people into thinking that Diet Coke doesn't make a difference in the weight loss game and it does. Those obese people do not need the extra sugar that regular coke supplies. While not drinking coke at all might be the "ideal" solution, I think it's unrealistic to plan a diet around idealism. It needs to be based on reality and the reality is that the person is going to drink coke, so it might as well be diet coke.
It's an enormously complex issue and the research on diet, weight, exercise, and obesity covers more aspects of the obesity issue than at least I can count. By using the example I did, I was just trying to point out one thing from the obesity literature that I've found few people know about. Sorry I didn't make that clear.
OTOH, ITA with you, Soogar, about the mentality of "Since I had a Diet Coke (or diet whatever) I can have ice cream" kind of thing. Back in college (mid '70s), I worked as a waitress at several places, including a pizza place. Man, I wish I had a dollar for every time a couple of girls--not being sexist, that's just the way it was--would order a large pizza with at least two fatty toppings, extra garlic bread, and a Diet Coke (or Pepsi). Sure they would get about 120 calories more if they ordered regular soda, but in light of the fact that researchers have shown that diet drinks actually increase appetite, perhaps they ate more pizze and bread than if they had drunk plain water instead of diet soda.
But not to worry, Soogar; researchers in weight problems are coming at it from all angles: psychology, neurology, endocrinology, genetics, cultural influences--basically a list as long as your leg--Michael Jordan's leg. If you want to get an idea go to PubMed at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi and enter "diet weight control obesity" as your key words. You should get 4,992 studies--and that's just since late 2004.
At a rate of about 5,000 studies a year on weight issues, since 1985 that makes about 100,000 studies. And since research in this area is increasing--and the US sure needs it--that's a lot of research.
Now I think I'll have a pint of Godiva Dark Chocolate ice cream and a Diet Coke with my pet penguin.
Rgirl
So glad we got him out of that situation. (for those who that just confused my little brother was adopted out of the foster care system... he's been in our home longer than he's been anywhere else)
......most would, but there will always be some fools with too many guns, too little sense, and an overabundance of testosterone..........
