APA: Artificial sweeteners linked to weight gain

In an article in the February edition of the American Psychological Assocation's "Behavioral Neuroscience", Psychologists at Purdue University reported on a study in which they tested rats eating yogurt with either glucose or a saccharin based sweetener to see how they reacted in regards to weight gain. They reported that "rats given yogurt sweetened with zero-calorie saccharin later consumed more calories, gained more weight, put on more body fat, and didn’t make up for it by cutting back later, all at levels of statistical significance.

"Authors Susan Swithers, PhD, and Terry Davidson, PhD, surmised that by breaking the connection between a sweet sensation and high-calorie food, the use of saccharin changes the body’s ability to regulate intake." (Press Release)