Artificial sweeteners may help weight loss but should not be given to young children, say UK advisers

A UK government advisory committee has said that food and drink sweetened with non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) can help people lose a small amount of weight, contrasting with a previous conclusion from the World Health Organization.

But younger children should not be given any drinks or foods containing NSS, the UK’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) concluded.

The updated advice has been published in response to 2023 WHO guidelines which concluded that NSS and foods that contain them should not be used to control body weight or reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases as there is no evidence of any long term benefit.12 WHO also warned that their long term use is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality, although it said the evidence for this was of low certainty overall.

In its response the SACN states that the WHO guideline prioritises evidence from …