NNS beverages may match water in weight control

Adults assigned to nonnutritive sweetened beverages or water maintained weight reductions through 104 weeks, with no statistically significant difference between groups.

By
Andrea Surnit
October 6, 2026
4 min

MDSpire News

Overview

The SWITCH trial demonstrated that nonnutritive sweetened (NNS) beverages and water resulted in similar reductions in body weight over 104 weeks among adults in a behavioral weight-management program. Both groups maintained significant weight loss compared to baseline, with no statistically significant differences in weight change between the two beverage types.

Background

Weight management is a critical aspect of preventing obesity and related health conditions. Understanding the impact of beverage choices, particularly nonnutritive sweeteners versus water, on weight control is essential for developing effective dietary recommendations.

Data Highlights

Group	Baseline Weight (kg)	Weight Change at Week 104 (kg)
Water	89.9	-3.7
NNS Beverages	89.4	-4.8

Key Findings

Both water and NNS beverage groups maintained significant weight loss at week 104.
Weight loss was most pronounced during the initial 12-week phase in both groups.
Waist and hip circumference decreased in both groups without significant differences.
Some metabolic outcomes differed, with the water group showing greater reductions in glycated hemoglobin and diastolic blood pressure.
Hunger increased slightly in both groups, with no significant difference between them.
Sweetener consumption decreased significantly in the water group but remained unchanged in the NNS group.

Clinical Implications

Clinicians may consider that both NNS beverages and water can be effective in weight management strategies over the long term. However, the lack of significant differences in weight change suggests that patient preferences for beverage types may play a role in adherence to weight management programs.