Fizzy water might lead to obesity by making you eat more
Fizzy water might be one of the factors leading to obesity, according to a new study.
Academic from Birzeit University in the Palestinian West Bank discovered that rats that were given fizzy drinks (including zero-calorie versions) gained weight, while those who drank flat liquid did not.
The carbon dioxide in the water encouraged the rats to eat up to 20% more. Furthermore, the rats that drank fizzy water showed signs of fat accumulating around their organs, which is a symptom of chronic obesity, according to the Telegraph.
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Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, told the Mail on Sunday: “The Department of Health must now curb the use of any chemicals that impinge on health and that should include carbon dioxide if this effect is replicated in further studies.”
Tests performed on human volunteers found that people who drank sparkling water at breakfast had their levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin six times higher than those who had still water.
However, Gavin Partington, director-general of the British Soft Drinks Association, said the study was “bad science”, due to the fact that the results for humans may not be the same as those for rats.
“There is no body of scientific evidence that carbon dioxide contained in soft drinks – or even beer – causes increased hunger or obesity,” he said.
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