Buzz
As a teenager, I used to drink a lot of sugary sodas—mostly Mountain Dew. One day, I decided to switch to the diet versions, thinking the calorie reduction would help me easily lose five or ten pounds by the end of the year. I stuck with it, and do you know how many pounds I lost, without changing anything else in my diet? Zero.
I still don’t drink sugary sodas. (Now, like my colleague Claire Lower, I’ve joined the Diet Coke cult.) But I now understand why the World Health Organization issued a guideline advising against using “non-sugar sweeteners,” such as aspartame, as quick fixes for weight loss or healthy eating.
If you’re interested in the scientific research behind their recommendations, you can read more here (their meta-analysis of the health effects of sweeteners) and here (the full guideline, a 90-page report packed with evidence and suggestions).
I appreciate that the World Health Organization uses the term “non-sugar sweeteners” (NSS) rather than “artificial sweeteners.” For instance, Stevia is considered “natural,” yet it still falls into this category because it mimics the sweetness of sugar without actually being sugar.
Why sweeteners seem ineffective for weight loss or health
What I came to realize after my soda-switching experiment, which probably should’ve been obvious from the beginning: Our bodies are quite adept at making us hungry enough to consume enough calories. If you cut calories from one source, we’ll just compensate by eating more from another.
It’s difficult to prove definitively, but studies like the ones referenced by the World Health Organization consistently show that people who consume a lot of non-sugar sweeteners aren’t necessarily thinner or healthier than those who don’t. In fact, some studies even suggest the opposite, likely due to a reverse causality effect. If you feel you need to lose weight, you're more likely to reach for a diet soda. So, people who frequently consume non-sugar sweeteners tend to be those who are overweight or have health issues they’re attempting to manage through their diet.
The WHO’s stance on non-sugar sweeteners is based on “the lack of evidence to suggest that NSS use benefits body weight and other measures of body fatness in the long term,” rather than any assertion that sweeteners are definitively harmful to us. Regarding potential long-term health effects, the WHO concludes that “the evidence remains inconclusive.”
If you're serious about eating healthier, the first step is to actually adjust your diet.
The World Health Organization’s director for nutrition and food safety was straightforward: “People should cut back on sweetness in their diet entirely” if they aim to eliminate sugar. If your current diet needs improvement, simply replacing sugary foods and drinks with artificially-sweetened versions won’t make a significant difference.
However, for those with diabetes, non-sugar sweeteners could still play a role, as they help reduce actual sugar intake. For everyone else, the goal is to enhance overall diet quality.
Instead, focus on incorporating more fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains into your meals, as suggested. There are plenty of other strategies available to help you improve your eating habits without obsessing over calorie counts or sugar grams.
