Diet foods for children may lead to obesity
U of A sociologist David Pierce says diet foods may trick a child's system into associating flavours with the wrong kinds of caloric content.
August 8, 2007 - Edmonton - Diet foods and drinks for children may inadvertently lead to over eating and obesity, says a new report from the University of Alberta.
Researchers contend that animals learn to connect the taste of food with the amount of caloric energy it provides, and children who consume low-calorie versions of foods that are normally high in calories may develop distorted connections between taste and calorie content, leading them to over eat as they grow up.
The research was published today in the academic journal Obesity.
"Based on what we've learned, it is better for children to eat healthy, well-balanced diets with sufficient calories for their daily activities rather than low-calorie snacks or meals," said David Pierce, a U of A sociologist and lead author of the paper.
The researchers conducted a series of elaborate experiments that proved substituting low-calorie versions of foods and drinks led to over eating in a sample of young rats, including rats that were lean and others that were genetically obese. Although both lean and obese rats over ate during their regular meals, the added calories have more serious health implications for obese animals.
Adolescent rats that were also fed diet foods did not display the same tendency to over eat. The researchers believe the older rats relied on a variety of taste-related cues 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," Pierce said.
Pierce added that his team's "taste-conditioning process" theory may explain "puzzling results" from other studies, such as recent findings from researchers at the University of Massachusetts, who found links between diet soda consumption and a higher risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
"One thing is clear at this point," Pierce said. "Our research has shown that young animals can be made to over eat when low-calorie foods and drinks are given to them on a daily basis, and this subverts their bodies' energy-balance system."
"Parents and health professionals should be made aware of this and know that the old-fashioned ways to keep children fit and healthy - ensuring they eat well-balanced meals and exercise regularly - are the best ways. Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters."
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