Data from a recent study by the American Diabetes Association shows that while diet sodas may be free of calories, they do not prevent you from gaining weight (via CBS). In fact, they may contribute to weight gain. Diet soda also contributes to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions.
The ADA analyzed measures of height, weight, and waist circumference compared to diet soda consumption over a period of nine and a half years and found that the adults who drank more diet soda per day gained more weight and added to their waistlines.
Those who drank two or more diet sodas a day added four more centimeters to their waistlines over time:
So if there aren't calories, what is causing the weight gain? In another study, the ADA, fed one group of mice a normal diet, and another group the same diet with the addition of aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in most diet drinks. At the end of three months, the mice on the aspartame diet had much higher blood glucose levels.
A co-author of both studies told the Daily Mail: "Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but unlike regular sugars they don't deliver something that will squelch the appetite." She added the lack of real sugar could inhibit the body from feeling full.
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