"Diet" Soda is Not the Answer

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Piernas, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014; 99:567-577) analyzed the consumption of low-calorie and artificially sweetened soft drinks and the eating habits of individuals who regularly consumed them. They found that people consuming such drinks ate lower quality diets compared with people who did not drink such beverages.

While the reason for this remains largely speculation, a likely culprit is the mistaken belief that by cutting back on the sugar in the drink, you are free to eat more CRAP of other kinds. A similar phenomenon is eating more of something because it is "low fat". This, of course, is an entirely separate issue from the long range health effects of consuming large quantities of chemical sweeteners.

Walking into McDonald's and ordering a diet Coke with your double cheese burger, large fries and apple pie is not likely help you from joining the over 2/3 of us who are already overweight.