Diet Soda Linked to Belly Fat Gain in Seniors

Author: Wiley
Published: 2015/03/17 - Updated: 2025/04/08
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Research, Study, Analysis
Topic: How to Lose Weight Tips - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: Study links daily diet soda intake in seniors to increased belly fat, raising concerns over health risks tied to artificial sweeteners.

Why it matters: This article presents findings from a study examining the link between diet soda consumption and increased abdominal fat in older adults, highlighting a notable association between daily intake of artificially sweetened beverages and greater waist circumference over time. It discusses how this fat accumulation, especially visceral fat, is linked to serious health risks such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The information is particularly relevant for seniors and individuals with limited mobility or disabilities, as excess belly fat can complicate existing conditions or increase vulnerability to new health problems. The article emphasizes the need for more awareness around dietary choices often perceived as harmless or beneficial, especially among older populations who may turn to diet sodas for weight control or diabetes management - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shows that increasing diet soda intake is directly linked to greater abdominal obesity in adults 65 years of age and older. Findings raise concerns about the safety of chronic diet soda consumption, which may increase belly fat and contribute to a greater risk of Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.

Main Item

Metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors that may lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, is one of the results of the obesity epidemic.

In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.9 billion adults were overweight (body mass index of 25 or more) in 2014. Of this group, 600 million people fell into the obese range (BMI of 30 or more), which has more than doubled since 1980.

To combat obesity, many adults try to reduce sugar intake by turning to non-nutritive or artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose. Previous research shows that in the past 30 years, artificial sweeteners and diet soda intake have increased, yet the prevalence of obesity has also dramatically increased in the same period.

Many studies exploring diet soda consumption and cardiometabolic diseases have focused on middle-aged and younger adults.

"Our study seeks to fill the age gap by exploring the adverse health effects of diet soda intake in individuals 65 years of age and older," explains lead author Sharon Fowler, MPH, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "The burden of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, along with healthcare costs, is great in the ever-increasing senior population."

The San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging (SALSA) enrolled 749 Mexican - and European-Americans who were aged 65 and older at the start of the study (1992-96).

Diet soda intake, waist circumference, height and weight were measured at study onset, and three follow-ups in 2000-01, 2001-03, and 2003-04, for a total of 9.4 follow-up years.

At the first follow-up, there were 474 (79.1%) surviving participants; there were 413 (73.4%) at the second follow-up and 375 (71.0%) at the third follow-up.

Findings indicate that the increase in waist circumference among diet soda drinkers, per follow-up interval, was almost triple that among non-users: 2.11 cm versus 0.77 cm, respectively.

After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, interval waist circumference increases were 0.77 cm for non-users, 1.76 cm for occasional users, and 3.04 cm for daily users.

This translates to waist circumference increases of 0.80 inches for non-users, 1.83 inches for occasional users, and 3.16 inches for daily users over the total 9.4-year SALSA follow-up period.

"The SALSA study shows that increasing diet soda intake was associated with escalating abdominal obesity, which may increase cardiometabolic risk in older adults," Fowler concludes.

The authors recommend that older individuals who drink diet soda daily, particularly those at high cardiometabolic risk, should try to curb their consumption of artificially sweetened drinks.

Facts and Statistics

• By the early 1990s, many companies had their diet refreshments on supermarket shelves.
• In an independent study by researchers with the Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts, soda consumption correlated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome.
• Initially launched in Argentina in 2013, Coca-Cola Life is made with a mix of stevia and sugar as its sweeteners.
• Many consumers are concerned about the possible health effects of sugar substitutes and the overuse of caffeine.
• Aspartame, known by the brand name NutraSweet, is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners.
• National Center for Health Statistics study showed about one-fifth of the U.S. population aged two years and over consumed diet drinks on a given day in 2009 - 2010, and 11% consumed 16 fluid oz. of diet drinks or more.

"Diet Soda Intake Is Associated with Long-Term Increases in Waist Circumference in a Biethnic Cohort of Older Adults: The San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging." Sharon P.G. Fowler, Ken Williams, and Helen P. Hazuda.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; Published Online: March 17, 2015.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Wiley and published on 2015/03/17, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, Wiley can be contacted at wiley.com NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.