The Study
Chronic Low-Calorie Sweetener Use and Risk of Abdominal Obesity among Older Adults: A Cohort Study
This study watched a group of older people for many years and noticed that those who drank diet soda or ate diet foods tended to gain more belly fat over time. But it didn't make people change what they ate—it just watched what they did. So we can't say the diet foods caused the weight gain—maybe people who were already gaining weight chose diet foods to try to lose weight.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at older people who drank diet drinks over many years and found they tended to gain more belly fat than those who didn't.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 559 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — a 2.6 cm wider waist and 53% higher risk of belly fat buildup is meaningful for health, as abdominal obesity raises risk for heart disease and diabetes.
- 2People who used low-calorie sweeteners had 0.80 kg/m² higher BMI, 2.6 cm larger waist, 37% more abdominal obesity at any time, and 53% higher chance of developing it over 10 years.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
PLoS ONE
Year
2016
Authors
C. Chia, M. Shardell, Toshiko Tanaka, David Liu, Kristofer S. Gravenstein, E. Simonsick, J. Egan, L. Ferrucci
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who regularly consume low-calorie sweeteners tend to have more abdominal fat and larger waist measurements compared to those who do not.
Older adults who regularly consume low-calorie sweeteners over 10 years have a 53% higher rate of developing abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference above 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women, compared to those who do not, after accounting for initial weight, diet quality, and metabolic health.
In adults aged 60 and older, long-term use of low-calorie sweeteners is linked to a 0.80 kg/m² increase in body mass index and a 2.6 cm increase in waist circumference over 10 years, even when accounting for diet, exercise, smoking, and metabolic health.
Older adults who regularly consume low-calorie sweeteners have a 37% higher rate of abdominal obesity compared to those who do not, even when accounting for their initial body fat, diet, and metabolic health.
Older adults who consume low-calorie sweeteners over time have a 53% higher rate of developing abdominal obesity compared to those who do not, even when accounting for their previous weight, diet quality, and metabolic health.
In older adults, consuming low-calorie sweeteners is linked to higher levels of abdominal fat, regardless of diet, exercise, smoking, or metabolic health status.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.