Linda Gardner's Blog: Diet Coke Helps Weight Loss More Than Water, Reports Media

Professor Peter Rogers

WOW! Drinking Diet Coke is apparently, possibly, maybe BETTER than water for weight loss!

Mail Online: Low calorie drinks like Diet Coke DO help with weight loss – and could help slimmers MORE than water
Medical Daily: Using Artificial Sweeteners To Cut Calories And Lose Weight Works Better Than Drinking Water
EurekAlert: Evidence shows low energy sweeteners help reduce energy intake and body weight

The report is based on this study, which contains no new research but summarizes the authors’ views on all earlier studies – clearly an exercise that introduces lots of subjectivity and bias.

That could be OK. Except the lead author quoted in all the media above, Professor Peter Rogers, has been funded by Sugar Nutrition UK for many years, to “research” satiety effects of sugar-containing drinks. And Sugar Nutrition UK is funded by UK sugar manufacturers. Hmmm.

And it goes on. This present study from Professor Peter Rogers and his colleagues was funded by ILSI Europe, a group funded by companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

In plain talk that means Coca-Cola money in Professor Rogers’ pocket, for services rendered.

Professor Rogers’ co-authors include one person funded by the Dutch Sugar Bureau, one funded by a sweetener company (Canderel), two employees and shareholders in companies that manufacture products containing sugars and sweeteners, and finally one employee of ILSI Europe (funded by Coca-Cola etc.).

This is perhaps the most blatantly biased “science” I’ve seen. It’s like reading marketing material for the beverage industry. Unfortunately some media has fallen for it, and the “study” will surely be cited by a lot of people who want to sell you their diet drinks.

It’s yet another example of how Coca-Cola and other beverage companies pervert the science and confuse the public, harming people, to sell more of their products. But that can be expected. What’s unfortunate is that some scientists still sell out to them.

Learn more about the effect of artificial sweeteners on the How to Lose Weight page.