The New Diet Coke Diet? Young women are abusing energy drinks in a bid to lose weight amid a rise in eating disorders, warns NHS mental health chief
Women are risking heavy energy drinks instead of solid food to lose weight, amid rising numbers of eating disorders, the NHS’s mental health chief has warned.
The drinks are often marketed as ‘healthy’ and are even sold in gyms. However, they are low in calories and can also suppress appetite if they contain a lot of caffeine, making them susceptible to ‘abuse’ according to eating disorder experts.
Claire Murdoch, national director for mental health at NHS England, said this week she was “concerned” about the trend, which is reminiscent of the 1990s trend of consuming large amounts of caffeinated Diet Coke instead of eating.
Mrs Murdoch also hit out at drinks companies for marketing their products to young people as “a quick way to lose weight”.
Her comments come as the government prepares to ban the sale of the drinks to under-18s. Speaking to MailOnline, mental health experts voiced Ms Murdoch’s concerns.
The energy drink trend is reminiscent of a similar trend from the 1990s, where large amounts of caffeinated Diet Coke were consumed instead of
Huel, which made its name as a meal replacement brand, says its energy drink ‘contains all the vitamins you need’
The energy drink brands that experts claim are used to complement meals all claim to provide health benefits or support fitness, even if they do not directly advertise the idea that they help with weight loss (see the photo of the Huel ad).
Tom Quinn, from eating disorders charity Beat, said: ‘People with eating disorders often try to limit the amount of food they eat by drinking excessive amounts of caffeinated beverages such as coffee or energy drinks instead of eating balanced meals.
‘The first symptoms of eating disorders are often behavioral or psychological in nature, rather than physical. For example, drinking a lot of energy drinks before noticeable weight loss occurs.’
Since the pandemic, the number of young patients referred to a specialist for an eating disorder has increased by 52 percent.
Ms Murdoch, herself a mental health nurse, told The Telegraph: ‘Manufacturers and influencers should not be promoting these drinks to young people as a quick way to lose weight.
“We urge everyone not to replace their meals with energy drinks.”
Many brands claim they are nutritious, but eating them instead of meals can make people seriously ill, Murdoch warns.
There is now a huge range of energy drink brands available in different flavours, enriched with vitamins and minerals and low in calories
Referrals to eating disorder services increased from 19,244 in 2018-19 to 29,165 in 2022-23
The number of referrals to healthcare institutions for eating disorders increased from 19,244 in 2018-2019 to 29,165 in 2022-2023.
NHS screening found that 77.5 per cent of young women aged 17 to 19 may have an eating problem, while 20.8 per cent have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.
There are numerous posts on the social media platform Reddit from an anonymous eating disorder community revealing how people are abusing energy drinks for their low-calorie, energizing effects. Posts even explain how it can mimic a feeling of fullness.
The energy drink brands that experts say are used to complement meals all claim to have a health-promoting effect or fitness support, even if they do not directly advertise that they help with weight loss.
Tenzing, Purdy’s and Perfect Ted all claim to contain ‘natural’ ingredients and be low in calories.
Celsius claims it can ‘speed up your metabolism’ and provide energy.
Huel, which made its name as a meal replacement brand, says its energy drink “contains all the vitamins you need”.
However, scientists have debunked the myth that energy drinks can promote weight loss.
In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a systematic review judgement on whether artificial sweeteners are beneficial for weight management.
However, they found that people who ate a lot were more likely to have a higher BMI and 76 percent more likely to be obese.
Concerns have previously been raised about the health of under-16s drinking highly caffeinated beverages.
Many supermarket chains in the country have already introduced a voluntary ban on selling the products to minors, but Labour plans to make it mandatory.
Labour has said the “irresponsible” sale and marketing of energy drinks is causing a “children’s health crisis”, affecting their ability to concentrate, sleep and even their mental health.
Drinks like Red Bull, Prime and Monster can contain up to 150 mg of caffeine, almost double that of black coffee.
Energy drinks contain sky-high levels of ingredients that have powerful effects on the body. Some brands can contain up to 160 mg of caffeine, almost three times the amount of instant coffee, almost 10 times the amount of taurine, an amino acid found in meat, fish and eggs, as a salmon fillet, and the same amount of sugar as a full-fat cola.
Some brands are available for as little as 25p a can. Many of these energy drinks are cheaper than bottled water and are a popular pick-me-up for young people.
But drinking too much and too often can have serious consequences, including increasing the risk of heart problems, cancer and depression, according to research.
In the 1980s, when there was a media frenzy about weight loss, Diet Coke, which contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar and has zero calories, was widely marketed as a health drink.
Advertisements featured models in swimsuits or fitness gear in the gym, with slogans like, “Look good, feel good.” Yet the drink also became synonymous with the Diet Coke diet: skipping meals and “stuffing” yourself with diet sodas.
A 2013 study published in the journal Eating Disorders found that patients with eating disorders drank more diet soda than controls without an eating disorder.
Beat’s Tom Quin added: ‘We would urge anyone who notices warning signs in themselves or a loved one to see their GP as soon as possible, or encourage the person affected to do so.
‘Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, but full recovery is possible. And that chance increases the sooner someone gets the help he or she needs.’