Retrain a sweet tooth

SUBSTITUTING sugar with sweeteners does not assist weight loss, according to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) findings.

Using them could actually cause health problems, the WHO warned.

Their advice suggested that people should not turn to sweeteners like aspartame ­ routinely used in fizzy diet drinks ­ if they wanted to lose weight or prevent diet ­ related diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Other popular sweeteners that were cited included saccharin and stevia, generally regarded as a healthier option.

Too tired

A YOUGOV poll of 2,086 adults in the UK highlighted the obstacles that people face when aspiring to adopt, and stick to, healthy habits.

Many who wanted to exercise more, eat more wisely and lead a healthier lifestyle faced the problem of feeling too tired.

The YouGov survey found that tiredness stopped 35 per cent of people from making the changes to their diet and physical activity levels that would help them close the divide between good intentions and definite action.

Instead, they should consider eating foods with naturally occurring sugars, like fresh fruit, or switch to unsweetened foods and drinks.

The WHO based the new