"Metabolic syndrome"

[Irma]

I just read about how long term consumption of diet soda can lead to something called "metabolic syndrome" that results in a slowing of the metablolism and collection of fat in the mid-section. Have you heard of this before?

 

[rayne]

I've just read several articles on metabolic syndrome and it's a fairly significant disease. I never saw the correlation of soft drinks but it would only stand to reason that anything that puts weight on would help the disease to manifest itself in the body. Soft drinks have been proven to increase the weight of a person when consumed in quantity and regularly.

 

[Parker]

I have never heard of metabolic syndrome, but I'm not really surprised. My abdominal area has really shrunk since I have stopped drinking soda. The father of one of my best friends brags about his Dr. Pepper belly. It really looks like a beer belly, but he only drinks Dr. Pepper. The lowering of the metabolic rating is what's really surprising to me. I'm going to have to do some research on this topic. I have long list of things to research!

 

[pb&bananas]

I've heard about Metabolic Syndrome before, but I've never heard anything about diet soda causing it or making it worse. I have heard, however, that drinking diet soda can actually make you crave sugar, because the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas don't satisfy your body's sugar cravings the way real sugar does.

 

[lettuce]

This isn't true. What causes metabolic syndrome is poor diet and lack of exercise - period. Some people might use diet drinks as an excuse to chow down more, leading to metabolic syndrome, but it is not the diet cola's fault.

 

[shaunche]

I have never heard of this before but I am not surprised. Drinking soda is VERY bad for your healthy. Not only is it full of sugar, but it has a pH of 2-3, meaning it is highly acidic in the body.

 

[artistry]

Well it might not cause it, but soda itself causes weight gain. Perhaps diet soda has less sugar, but has some sort of sweetener in it. It has been said that soda will cause loss of bone density, especially women, whose bones will become weaker. So soda is not so great for your body.

 

[Esperahol]

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Risk factors


The following factors increase your chances of having metabolic syndrome:

• Age.The risk of metabolic syndrome increases with age, affecting less than 10 percent of people in their 20s and 40 percent of people in their 60s. However, warning signs of metabolic syndrome can appear in childhood.
• Race.Hispanics and Asians seem to be at greater risk of metabolic syndrome than other races are.
• Obesity.A body mass index (BMI) — a measure of your percentage of body fat based on height and weight — greater than 25 increases your risk of metabolic syndrome. So does abdominal obesity — having an apple shape rather than a pear shape.
• History of diabetes.You're more likely to have metabolic syndrome if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes or a history of diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes).
• Other diseases. A diagnosis of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or polycystic ovary syndrome — a similar type of metabolic problem that affects a woman's hormones and reproductive system — also increases your risk of metabolic syndrome.

Soda doesn't seem to be a risk... and race would seem to indicate a genetic compenent.

 

[ohiotom76]

I did read that the artificial sweeteners trick your body into thinking it's consumed sugar, so in some ways they are still bad for you much like sugar is.

 

[gina121]

I wasn't aware of it until I read your post, and find that lowering BP, cholesterol and weight can help in lowering your chances of getting metabolic syndrome; and if left untreated, it can lead to a long-term risk of developing kidney and heart diseases.

 

[gar]

I thought its just beer that makes my belly bloat. But I have already stop drinking soda since last year, i only drink soda occasionally since my get to feel like weeweeing if i drink lts of it.

 

[iampeebs]

I personally think it is more than diet sodas fault, but I also think that is an easy scapegoat. This is something I think we all need to look into more and if we have weight issues, to take the time to change our lifestyles and correct it. I know I do not want to be one of America's weight statistics and chose to do something about it. It is hard to do, but we all make our own choices.

 

[Esperahol]

I personally think it is more than diet sodas fault, but I also think that is an easy scapegoat. This is something I think we all need to look into more and if we have weight issues, to take the time to change our lifestyles and correct it. I know I do not want to be one of America's weight statistics and chose to do something about it. It is hard to do, but we all make our own choices.

I do and don't agree with your statement. I mean race would indicate a genetic component esp. since Asians are not known for their weight issues. The issue of co-morbidity means that underlying factors exist esp. since something like polycystic ovary syndrome can make this condition more likely. It isn't likely to be the fact soda is being drunk that is making it happen. Correlation is not causation afterall. It also can't simply be weight even if it is a factor.

 

[shaunche]

Most of the population are metabolically unhealthy, even people who are slim and seemingly healthy on the outside. The reason so many of us are metabolically unhealthy is because we are eaten too much crap and not active enough.

 

[bettyblue]

I'm very afraid of metabolic syndrome and it's one of the reasons I stopped to use sugar. I also limit fruit, since fructose is not good for your body in excess. So far I feel much better (minus a little cold), my energy is higher and first of all I don't experience any midday "crash", which I believe was really a sugar crash.