The World Health Organization (WHO) advises against relying on sugar-free sweeteners for weight control. Studies have shown that this can help in the short term to lose weight or not to gain any more weight. With long-term use, however, the risk of weight gain and severe overweight (obesity) increases, the WHO announced on Monday in Geneva. She published a guideline that people should try to reduce their sugar consumption in other ways. "The WHO recommends that sugar-free sweeteners should not be used as a means of weight control or to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases." The latter include, for example, cardiovascular diseases, cancer or diabetes. Regardless, the WHO also recommends reducing sugar consumption.

The recommendations apply to all people except those who already have diabetes. WHO experts have reviewed numerous studies on the use of sugar-free sweeteners. In adults, long-term consumption was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other things. There are fewer studies on children. Overall, there is little to suggest that the consumption of sweet beverages with sugar-free sweeteners contributes to fat reduction. However, two studies have shown that drinks with sweetener instead of sugar reduce tooth decay.

Recommendations also apply to stevia products

Billions of people are affected by overweight and obesity, writes the WHO. In 2016, 1.9 billion adults worldwide were overweight, more than 600 million of them severely overweight. In 2020, 38 million children under the age of five were overweight. A high body mass index (BMI), which is used to estimate a person's body fat percentage, caused four million deaths worldwide in 2017. The BMI is determined from height and weight.

The WHO refers to the latest available estimates for all figures. Sugar-free sweeteners include all synthetic and natural sweeteners, including products made from the stevia plant. The directive does not apply to low-calorie sugars such as erythritol or polyols.