研究：减肥时喝无糖饮料和喝水效果差不多
Should people trying to lose weight give up diet soft drinks and drink only water? A two-year study from the United Kingdom suggests it may not make much difference.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool recruited 493 adults who were overweight or obese. All of them joined a weight-loss programme, and they were randomly divided into two groups. One group was asked to drink water every day, while the other drank diet drinks containing artificial sweeteners.
After two years, the diet drink group had lost an average of 4.8 kilograms, compared with 3.7 kilograms in the water group. The difference was too small to be considered significant. Both groups managed to keep the weight off in the second year, even after the support programme ended. Both also reduced their waist size, cut down on sugar and saw improvements in their general health.
The researchers concluded that diet drinks were "essentially as effective as water". They also found no evidence that sweeteners increased appetite.
The findings are likely to spark debate. The World Health Organization currently advises against using sweeteners to control weight. Critics may also point out that the study was funded by the drinks industry, although the researchers insist they worked independently.
想减肥的人，是不是应该戒掉无糖汽水、只喝白开水？英国一项为期两年的研究显示，这样做可能没多大差别。
利物浦大学的研究人员招募了 493 名超重或肥胖的成年人。所有人都参加了一个减重项目，并被随机分成两组：一组每天喝水，另一组喝含人工甜味剂的无糖饮料。
两年后，喝无糖饮料的一组平均减重 4.8 公斤，喝水的一组平均减重 3.7 公斤。这个差距太小，在统计上并不显著。第二年减重项目的支持结束后，两组人都保持住了减下来的体重。两组的腰围都缩小了，糖的摄入量都减少了，整体健康状况也都有所改善。
研究人员的结论是，无糖饮料“基本上和水一样有效”。他们也没有发现甜味剂会让人食欲变大。
这一结果可能会引发争议。世界卫生组织目前不建议用甜味剂来控制体重。也有人可能会指出，这项研究由饮料行业出资，不过研究人员坚称，他们是独立开展工作的。