Low-calorie foods and drinks that aim at curbing weight problems among children may inadvertently lead to overeating and obesity, says an animal study.
Researchers at the University of Alberta say that animals learn to connect the taste of food with the amount of caloric energy it provides, and that children who consume low-calorie versions of foods that are normally high in calories may develop distorted connections between taste and calorie content, leading them to overeat as they grow up.
Low Calorie Diet
Low calorie meals or diet include foods that are high on nutritional content and yet have fewer calories. Updated information about low calorie diet or low calorie foods and its health benefits.
Advertisement
"Based on what we've learned, it is better for children to eat healthy, well-balanced diets with sufficient calories for their daily activities rather than low-calorie snacks or meals," said Dr. David Pierce, a University of Alberta sociologist and lead author of the paper published in the journal Obesity.
A series of elaborate experiments showed the researchers that substituting low-calorie versions of foods and drinks led to overeating in a sample of young rats, including ones that were lean and ones that were genetically obese.
![Low Calorie Diet can Promote Healthy Weight Loss and Help Control Hunger]( "Low Calorie Diet can Promote Healthy Weight Loss and Help Control Hunger")
Penn State researchers have revealed that diets focusing on foods that are low in calorie density can promote healthy weight loss while helping people to control hunger.
The researchers say that though both lean and obese rats overate during their regular meals, the added calories have more serious health implications for obese animals.
Adolescent rats that were also fed diet foods did not display the same tendency to overeat. The researchers believe the older rats did not overeat because they, unlike the younger rats, relied on a variety of taste-related cues to correctly assess the energy value of their food.
"The use of diet food and drinks from an early age into adulthood may induce overeating and gradual weight gain through the taste conditioning process that we have described," Pierce said.
According to Pierce, the "taste conditioning process" theory may help explain a number of previous findings, including the one in which researchers at the University of Massachusetts had found links between diet soda consumption among children and a higher risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
The researcher, however, admits that further research is necessary with older animals using a variety of taste-related cues.
"One thing is clear at this point, our research has shown that young animals can be made to overeat when low-calorie foods and drinks are given to them on a daily basis, and this subverts their bodies' energy-balance system," Pierce said.
"Parents and health professionals should be made aware of this and know that the old-fashioned ways to keep children fit and healthy—insuring they eat well-balanced meals and exercise regularly—are the best ways. Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters," added the researcher.
Source: ANI
SRM/J
Low Calorie Diet can Promote Healthy Weight Loss and Help Control Hunger
Penn State researchers have revealed that diets focusing on foods that are low in calorie density can promote healthy weight loss while helping people to control hunger.
Advertisement
The researchers say that though both lean and obese rats overate during their regular meals, the added calories have more serious health implications for obese animals.
Adolescent rats that were also fed diet foods did not display the same tendency to overeat. The researchers believe the older rats did not overeat because they, unlike the younger rats, relied on a variety of taste-related cues to correctly assess the energy value of their food.
"The use of diet food and drinks from an early age into adulthood may induce overeating and gradual weight gain through the taste conditioning process that we have described," Pierce said.
According to Pierce, the "taste conditioning process" theory may help explain a number of previous findings, including the one in which researchers at the University of Massachusetts had found links between diet soda consumption among children and a higher risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
The researcher, however, admits that further research is necessary with older animals using a variety of taste-related cues.
"One thing is clear at this point, our research has shown that young animals can be made to overeat when low-calorie foods and drinks are given to them on a daily basis, and this subverts their bodies' energy-balance system," Pierce said.
"Parents and health professionals should be made aware of this and know that the old-fashioned ways to keep children fit and healthy—insuring they eat well-balanced meals and exercise regularly—are the best ways. Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters," added the researcher.
Source: ANI
SRM/J
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Diet & Nutrition News
The nutritional profile of American diet can be significantly improved by substituting small amounts of pulses for refined grains and common protein sources.
Lowering the intake of isoleucine in diet can extend lifespan, promote a slim body, anti-aging properties, and reduce cancer and prostate health issues.
Keep Thanksgiving leftovers safe: Refrigerate promptly, use airtight containers, label and date, and reheat properly.
Poor nutrition raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, and mental issues like anxiety and depression. Nutrition interventions aid in managing these health issues.
Micronutrient deficiencies may play a crucial role in the worldwide surge of antibiotic resistance.