Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners and Body Weight: What Does the Science Really Say?
Washington, DC, United States
September 10, 2024
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Virtual
What Does the Science Really Say? How systematic reviews on low-calorie sweeteners produce disparate results.
Governments and public health advocates around the world recommend reductions in added sugars intake for most populations. Low- and No-calorie sweeteners (LNCS), also referred to as non-sugar sweeteners or non-nutritive sweeteners, are common tools for aiding sugar reduction while maintaining palatability. However, their use for body weight management remains controversial. This is due, in part, to conflicting conclusions drawn from systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in recent years. While these systematic reviews aim to systematically and objectively compile evidence to address the question ‘what is the effect of LNCS consumption on body weight?’, the different reviews conclude that LNCS have beneficial, neutral, or detrimental effects on body weight, depending on the review. Developing dietary recommendations on LNCS for body weight management is challenging, given the underlying evidence synthesis doesn’t come to the same conclusion.
Today’s webinar will focus on the research conducted at the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, conducted to decipher how systematic review methodologies influence the findings produced from systematic reviews investigating the association between LNCS consumption and body weight.
Speaker:
Kelly Higgins, PhD, Exponent (formerly USDA-ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center)
IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). This webinar awards 1 Continuing Professional Education Unit (CPEU)-Pending- in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s CPEU Prior Approval Program.
This program is organized by the IAFNS Low- & No-Calorie Sweeteners Committee.