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Low-Calorie Sweeteners & Weight Management: Help or Hindrance?

A Continuing Education Program for Nursing and Dietetic Professionals

BI-Large_0022_Low-Calorie-Sweeteners-&-Weight-Management--Help-or-Hindrance

Program Overview

Program Overview

Weight management is a perpetual hot topic in scientific circles and the media. When it comes to the role of low-calorie sweeteners, research appears to be mixed. While some human studies have found low-calorie sweeteners help reduce caloric intake, others show no results. What’s more, a handful of animal studies suggest such sweeteners may actually promote appetite and weight gain.

Because research about the impact of low- and no-calorie sweeteners on appetite and food intake frequently appears in the news, health professionals must understand the research to make science-based recommendations that help consumers achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

In this activity, Dr. Adam Drewnowski, noted obesity researcher and Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Washington, reviews the latest science and clinical research on low-calorie sweeteners and their impact on diet, appetite and weight management. Robyn Flipse, a registered dietitian and cultural anthropologist, translates this science into practical applications for helping consumers manage their weight and overall health appropriately and effectively.

Learning Objectives

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Evaluate the strengths and limitations of study designs related to low-calorie sweeteners and weight management.

  • Describe the known and potential impact of short- and long-term low-calorie sweetener use on appetite, satiety and body weight.

  • Discuss effective weight-management strategies that incorporate low-calorie sweeteners.

Speaker(s)

Adam Drewnowski

Adam Drewnowski, PhD
Professor, Epidemiology
Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine
Adjunct Professor, Metabolism
University of Washington
Seattle, WA

Dr. Adam Drewnowski is a world-renowned leader in innovative research approaches for the prevention and treatment of obesity. He is the Director of the Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Professor of Epidemiology with an adjunct appointment in Medicine and is a Joint Member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He is also Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition and the Center for Obesity Research.

Dr. Drewnowski's current research is focused on the relationship between poverty and obesity and the links between obesity and diabetes rates in vulnerable populations and access to healthy foods. He has conducted extensive studies on taste function and food preferences in relation to food choices and the overall quality of the diet. His sensory studies have explored the role of sweet and bitter tastes, and the texture of fat, on food acceptance and food rejection. Studies on genetic taste markers have dealt with individual differences in the acceptance of bitter phytochemicals in vegetables and fruit. Dr. Drewnowski has also conducted epidemiological studies on dietary quality, both in the US and abroad.

Dr. Drewnowski is the author of more than 100 research papers, numerous reviews and book chapters, and a frequent participant and invited speaker at scientific meetings, conferences and symposia.

Speaker Disclosure (TBA)

 

Robyn Flipse

Robyn Flipse, MS, RD
Clinical Dietitian
Private Practice
Bradley Beach, NJ

Robyn Flipse is a registered dietitian in private practice specializing in food, nutrition and health communications. Her professional career includes more than 30 years of dietetics counseling and teaching in addition to writing three books and numerous articles for consumer publications. She is recognized for her ability to evaluate the science behind the latest nutrition news and analyze how changing food and diet trends will impact nutrient intake and health status. Her consulting services to the food and pharmaceutical industries have included Coca-Cola North America, McNeil Nutritionals, Bush Brothers & Company, Masterfoods, USA and Bayer Company. She has also served on the professional staffs at The Estee Corporation, Raritan Bay Health Services Corporation, New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry, and Jersey Shore University Medical Center Hospital.

Speaker Disclosure (TBA)

 

The planners and managers of this activity have no conflictual relationships to report related to the content of this CE activity.