And Weight Loss by Robyn Flipse, MS, MA, RDN (NAPSA)—Here’s good newsfor many people who fear they have a slim chanceof getting and staying trim: Research by Adam Drewnowski and Colin Rehm at the University of Washington found regular users of low-calorie sweeteners have better diets than nonusers. Since other research reported an association between low-calorie sweeteners and obesity, Drewnowski and Rehm wanted to know “What came first, the weight gain or the use of low-calorie sweeteners?” a @ Researchers found that people who are trying to lose or maintain weight are much morelikely to use low-calorie sweeteners. They went back 10 years to see people’s weight histories and their intent, or motivation, to lose weight. They found the use of lowcalorie sweeteners was common among people who experienced weight fluctuations and weretrying to return to a lower weight. In fact, nearly a third of adults trying to lose or maintain weight used low-calorie sweetened products. As anyone who’s lost weight knows, it’s easy to regain. When that starts to happen, there’s a tendency to resumethe strategies that helped before, such as using lowcalorie sweeteners. The low-calorie sweetener is selected after the problem, not the other way around. This suggests low-calorie sweeteners don’t cause weight gain but are chosen to help reduceit. Since we now knowlow-calorie sweeteners are deliberately chosen by individuals as a weight managementstrategy, as the experts at the Calorie Control Council point out, using low-calorie sweeteners in place of sugar is a simple step anyone can take to help reducehisor her caloric intake as partof a healthylifestyle. Ms. Flipse, MS, MA, RDN, is a registered dietitian and cultural anthropologist. Reach her on Twitter @EverydayRD and check out her blog The Everyday RD.
