Diet soda, fat-free food, and fake sugar. Substitutes designed for the health of the nation. Reading “diet” on a label may seem appealing to most, but the consequences could be deadlier than companies are letting on. More and more studies are being conducted on this so-called healthy food, and scientists are proving again and again that the consequences of these additives far outweigh any possible rewards.
Artificial sweeteners have been used to aid in health and weight loss since the 1900s, but just recently, studies by the Canadian Medical Association and the NIH (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) have linked these fake sugars to a number of different health issues, including weight gain and obesity. These sugars are also associated with a larger chance of high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. The purpose of substituting real sugar with other alternatives is to create a more balanced and healthy lifestyle, but this faux sugar is obviously reversing any benefits it may have had.
Artificial sweeteners aren’t the only diet items with false claims of health. Fat-free or low-fat foods are also falsely publicized and glorified in advertising. Reduced fat or fat-free foods often contain the same amount of calories per serving, although they display a lower serving size, if eaten in the same quantity as non-diet food, they both would total about the same amount of calories. Studies have also shown that when people eat fat-free food, they tend to eat twice as much or more, overturning any advantages. It is also known that fats aid in feeling full after meals, and, when eating low-fat foods, people tend to get hungrier faster. So it may be healthier overall to eat foods with a natural amount of fat.
Diet food promises a happier and healthier lifestyle, but the alluring packaging and claims of nutrition and health are a sorry excuse for covering up that these foods cause long-lasting side effects and worse health implications than non-diet foods.
