Q: My brother thinks that drinking Fresca is the same as drinking water. He is diabetic and takes pills to control his numbers. He is about 30 or more pounds overweight and he drinks about 6 cans of Fresca each day. I told him he could drop at least 15 pounds if he didn’t drink so much Fresca. His doctor told him that drinking fresca is the same as drinking water. Is that True?
A: According to the Coca Cola Company, Fresca products have about 2 calories in an eight ounce serving. A can of Fresca is 12 ounces so 6 cans per day would be only 18 calories. While this is more than water, at zero calories, it is not significant. 18 calories is slightly more than a single teaspoon of sugar.
Of course we know that drinking sugar sweetened soft drinks causes weight gain and leads to an increase in the risk of diabetes. This is well established.
There’s not a lot of research about whether drinking calorie free sodas will contribute to weight gain or not. What we do have is not encouraging for those who drink any type of soda, however. Diet Soda vs. Water
Q: I’ve been following a Weight Watchers type diet for 2 1/2 months now. I’m 44 yrs old, 5′4″ and weigh just over 150 lbs. In the past, as recently as last year, I have been able to go a month or two with a WW type diet and lose 5 lbs minimum. This time I have not been able to lose even 1/2 lb.
I have really been careful about sticking to eating well, but I feel at a real loss right now and don’t know what to do next. Any advice you can offer to help me lose weight would be appreciated. What would you advise as the next steps?
A: This is a great question. There’s some evidence that as we get older – into our 40s and 50s – that it can be more difficult to lose weight. Everyone is different, of course, and there’s been some research focusing on this but nothing conclusive as to the actual cause. What we do know… Age and Weight Loss
Q: Recently I read an article about MSG (monosodium glutamate). It claimed that MSG causes weight gain based on a study done by university of Carolina. Is this true?
A:There have been animal models showing that MSG has an effect on the hormones that influence weight gain. A group of researchers at North Carolina did indeed look at whether such changes might be linked to weight gain in humans. MSG and Weight Gain
Q: How much weight should you lose doing it healthy each week? I was hoping maybe you could give me a few hints as to what I should be looking for and what to avoid.
A: The best research that we have says to lose about one pound per week on average. Losing weight much faster increases the likelihood of long term failure by rebound weight gain. Healthy Weekly Weight Loss
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