Kids' diet foods 'increase obesity'
Diet foods 'affect children's ability to judge calorie content'
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Wednesday, 08, Aug 2007 12:15
Diet food and drinks could be increasing the risk of children becoming obese, according to new research.
Scientists from the University of Alberta believe that rather than helping youngsters to stay slim, the diet products distort their ability to associated taste with calorie content.
This in turn leads to children overeating as they grow up, the study published in the journal Obesity claims.
Researchers base their findings on a series of experiments examining different types of food and the eating habits of rats.
They said that substituting low-calorie versions of foods and drinks led to overeating in a sample of the young rats.
Adolescent rats also fed the diet foods did not tend to overeat, which the scientists believe is due to them relying on their taste buds to correctly assess the energy value of their food.
"The use of diet food and drinks from an early age into adulthood may induce overeating and gradual weight gain through the taste conditioning process that we have described," said Dr David Pierce, a University of Alberta sociologist and lead author of the paper.
The researchers conclude well-balanced meals and exercise, rather than diet foods, are the best way for children to remain healthy.
"One thing is clear at this point: research has shown that young animals can be made to overeat when low-calorie foods and drinks are given to them on a daily basis, and this subverts their bodies' energy-balance system," Dr Pierce added.
"Parents and health professionals should be made aware of this and know that the old-fashioned ways to keep children fit and healthy – insuring they eat well-balanced meals and exercise regularly – are the best ways. Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters."