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Sweeteners and health: findings from recent research and their impact on obesity and related metabolic conditions

International Journal of Obesity volume 40, pages S1–S5 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

Few topics in nutrition engender more controversy than added sugars in general, and fructose-containing sugars in particular. Some investigators have argued that added sugars are associated with increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and even sugar ‘addiction’. Other investigators have questioned the scientific basis for all of these assertions. This debate has extended far beyond the scientific community into various media outlets including the internet and other non-refereed venues often with heated rhetoric and little science. Against this backdrop, a group of experts and researchers in the metabolism and health effects of added sugars presented a symposium ‘Sweeteners and Health: Findings from Recent Research and their Impact on Obesity and Related Metabolic Conditions’ at the European Congress on Obesity on 7 May 2015. The papers in this supplement are based on the presentations made at this meeting. The current article is intended to serve as an Introduction to this supplement.

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Acknowledgements

This article is based on a symposium entitled 'Sweeteners and Health: Findings from Recent Research and their Impact on Obesity and Related Metabolic Conditions' presented at the European Congress on Obesity on 7 May 2015 with sponsorship from Rippe Lifestyle Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rippe Lifestyle Institute, Shrewsbury, MA, USA

    J M Rippe

  2. Rippe Lifestyle Research Institute of Florida, Celebration, FL, USA

    J M Rippe

  3. University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    J M Rippe

  4. Department of Physiology, Lausanne University School of Biology and Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland

    L Tappy

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Correspondence to J M Rippe.

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Competing interests

JM Rippe’s research laboratory has received unrestricted grants and Dr Rippe has received consulting fees from ConAgra Foods, Kraft Foods, Florida, Department of Citrus, PepsiCo International, The Coca Cola Company, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Corn Refiners Association and Weight Watchers International as well as royalties and editorial office support from CRC Press, Sage Publishing and Springer Publishers. LT has received lecture fees from Rippe Lifestyle Institute and Soremartec. LT has also received grant support from Swiss National Foundation for Science and Federal Office for Sport BASPO, Switzerland and serves as an expert witness for the French food security agency ANSES.

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Rippe, J., Tappy, L. Sweeteners and health: findings from recent research and their impact on obesity and related metabolic conditions. Int J Obes 40 (Suppl 1), S1–S5 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.7

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