Do Sugar Substitutes Make You Fat?

The first sugar substitute, saccharin, was discovered in 1897 and was approved by the FDA in 1951. Since that time, several new sweeteners have been introduced, including aspartame, neotame, sucralose and stevia.

Use in Food and Drink

• As each sweetener has been introduced to the market, commercial diet foods and drinks have replaced sugar in hopes of appealing to diet-conscious consumers. While the calorie reduction is significant, the foods and drinks do not directly impact weight loss.

Weight Gain

• In Time magazine's article "Can Sugar Substitutes Make You Fat?," it was reported that a Purdue University study found that mice fed sugar substitutes tended to eat more food overall, and gain more weight than mice that ate a sugar-sweetened food.

Diet Drinks

• According to a 2005 University of Texas survey, people increased their risk of being overweight by 41 percent per soda consumed.

Sugar Sweetened or Sugar Substitutes?

• Sugar intake can be responsible for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and gout. Sugar substitute can be helpful when used in small amounts for people wishing to eat sweet foods and avoid these diseases.

Use

• Sugar substitutes are safe when used in moderation, but may cause dieting progress to stall.