Diet soda tied to heart attack, stroke risks: study

[Mister D]

At this point, the study suggests essentially nothing but I wonder if this will be replicated in the future? Still, I'd imagine many diet soda drinkers are fatties and have other bad habits. Why else would you drink that crap anyway?

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diet soda may benefit the waistline, but a new study suggests that people who drink it every day have a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke.
The study, which followed almost 2,600 older adults for a decade, found that those who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely than non-drinkers to suffer a heart attack or stroke.
The findings, reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, don't prove that the sugar-free drinks are actually to blame.
There may be other things about diet-soda lovers that explain the connection, researchers say.
"What we saw was an association," said lead researcher Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits."

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/diet-soda-tied-to-heart-attack-stroke-risks-study

[Peter1469]

Diet soda isn't good on the waste line either.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/21/are-diet-sodas-making-you-fat.aspx

[MMC]

Yeah, I don't see how they even consider as something good for the physical body. Not to mention they didn't really need to go to a diet sodas as there was always 7-Up and Ginger Ale.

[Mister D]

It tastes like crap too.

I linked through the Mercola article to this:


Although obesity has long been known to be a risk factor for heart disease, several studies have found that a high body mass index is actually associated with a lower risk of dying from heart ailments. However, according to a new analysis, the apparent paradox may be explained by the simple fact that BMI is a very flawed measurement.

After reading that muscular men were considered obese by this measurement (i.e. BMI) I've dismissed it.

[MMC]

Were they talking about body builder types or just any guys that are muscularly built?

[Mister D]

Were they talking about body builder types or just any guys that are muscularly built?

They are just saying that using according to a BMI calculation muscular men generally fall into that category. They aren't talking about Mr. Universe but regular guys like us. Granted, I have a fairly small waistline too (32 pants seem a little too big). I've read it several times. It's a major criticism of BMI.

[MMC]

Ah okay.....thanks. Diet sodas, weight watchers foods, and a majic pill. Notice something worng with that formula?

[Conley]

There was a good study summarized in the NY Times recently that had a lower mortality predictor for those 5 - 10 lbs overweight versus those who had a "healthier" BMI.

[Mister D]

I'm convinced that BMI is useless.

[Peter1469]

It tastes like crap too.

I linked through the Mercola article to this:



After reading that muscular men were considered obese by this measurement (i.e. BMI) I've dismissed it.

BMI is a baseline -- it is based of couch potatoes. My BMI is 27.8 = overweight. The problem is that I am not a couch potato; I have a 44 inch chest and 34 inch waist. 14% body fat.

[Mister D]

BMI is a baseline -- it is based of couch potatoes. My BMI is 27.8 = overweight. The problem is that I am not a couch potato; I have a 44 inch chest and 34 inch waist. 14% body fat.

How does one test for body fat %?

These criticism of BMI have been out for a long time. I'm not sure why anyone takes it seriously anymore.

[Peter1469]

How does one test for body fat %?

These criticism of BMI have been out for a long time. I'm not sure why anyone takes it seriously anymore.


There are many ways. I use a scale that has an electric pulse that goes through you to tell the difference between fat and muscle. It may not be 100% accurate, but consistency is more important for gauging your situation.

Like I said, BMI is a fine metric for couch potatoes.

[Peter1469]

http://www.tanita.com/en/

[Mister D]

http://www.tanita.com/en/

Wow. That's a higher tech scale than I'm used to.

[Mister D]

Not too pricey either.

[Conley]

Awesome, thanks Peter. I will look into getting one of those. Since I've had some funky palpitations I've been doing weightlifting and I think my body fat is dropping (my waistline is trimming down) but my weight is not largely different.

[Peter1469]

Awesome, thanks Peter. I will look into getting one of those. Since I've had some funky palpitations I've been doing weightlifting and I think my body fat is dropping (my waistline is trimming down) but my weight is not largely different.

Muscle is denser than fat by about 3X. So you can lose waist size and still weight the same. Don't focus on weight; focus on body fat %.

Yes, these scales are not expensive. Realize that if you are dehydrated the % of body fat will be artificially high. Even if they are not 100% accurate, they do create a baseline for you to work with.

[Conley]

Muscle is denser than fat by about 3X. So you can lose waist size and still weight the same. Don't focus on weight; focus on body fat %.

Yes, these scales are not expensive. Realize that if you are dehydrated the % of body fat will be artificially high. Even if they are not 100% accurate, they do create a baseline for you to work with.

Right, the accuracy is not as important as the precision.

[Mister D]

Weighing after a run is probably a bad idea then. I'm probably a quart or more down on water by then. I guess the morning might be best.

[Peter1469]

I weigh myself in the morning and at night. I get about a 3 pound difference, higher at night, but a 2% body fat difference, lower at night.

Probably because I am dehydrated in the morning when I get up.

[Conley]

Has anyone else ever weighed himself before and after pooping? If you say no, I won't believe you. :grin:

[Peter1469]

I have. Not a big difference.

My scale is right next to the throne. So sue me.

[Conley]

I have. Not a big difference.

My scale is right next to the throne. So sue me.

:laugh: My digital scale only records in 0.5 lb increments. I've been able to hit 1 lb but never 1.5. It's too bad Cap'n isn't around. Somehow I bet not only has he done this, but he probably has us all beat too.

[Mister D]

Has anyone else ever weighed himself before and after pooping? If you say no, I won't believe you. :grin:

I've rarely had access to a scale. We used to have one at work but now I can't find it. It might have been someone's personal scale.

[Captain Obvious]

Has anyone else ever weighed himself before and after pooping? If you say no, I won't believe you. :grin:

No, but I've dropped a belt size after taking a power dump.