Melena Scala
Science News Article Write-Up 2
In an article published in npr.org entitled, “Diet soda may prompt food cravings, especially in women and people with obesity,” the author summarizes a study that beverages with sucralose in them may make some people hungrier. It states that the research found that women and people with obesity experienced a stimulate appetite and reduction in appetite inhibiting hormones after they had sucralose, while males and those with healthy body weights did not. While reading, I found that the academic journal where the original study is found is linked in the text and one of the researchers is quoted. Though the academic journal obviously provides a more in-depth account of the specific research methods used—which included MRI scans to observe whether or not the parts of the brain that control appetite were stimulated, blood tests to investigate hormones, and a buffet table at the end of the study to observe how much individuals ate—I found that the article gave an accurate description of the procedure used in the study. Similarly, the results of the study are depicted accurately, and I think they use this study to explore and discuss the influence of these diet drinks on women and individuals with obesity and how they are intended to cause weight loss but may actually be causing weight gain in these individuals cautiously. For instance, at the end of the academic journal it states that the findings highlight “the need to consider individual biological factors in research studies and potentially in dietary recommendations regarding the use and efficacy of NNS for body weight management,” which is what the article discusses. Therefore, I do not think the findings of the study are manipulated or misused in the article, and whatever hypotheses or connections that the author includes are clarified and not passed off as a known fact. Something that I think the article is missing would be an explanation of some of the limitations of the study, such as variables like dosage, the unique chemical structure of each sucralose, and the presence of carbohydrates possibly having an influence on the results. Furthermore, I think the title is a little misleading in attempt to be attention grabbing, because the study did not examine all kinds of diet sodas, it just investigated the effect of sucralose which can be found in some diet sodas.
Works Cited
Aubrey, Allison. “Diet Soda May Prompt Food Cravings, Especially in Women and People with Obesity.” NPR, NPR, 7 Oct. 2021, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/10/07/1044010141/diet-soda-may-prompt-food-cravings-especially-in-women-and-people-with-obesity.
Yunker AG, Alves JM, Luo S, et al. “Obesity and Sex-Related Associations With Differential Effects of Sucralose vs Sucrose on Appetite and Reward Processing: A Randomized Crossover Trial.” JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(9):e2126313. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.26313
