If losing fat were all about the calories, then consuming diet drinks would work like a charm. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and other beverage companies spend millions to make us believe that their diet drinks help fight obesity, but the exact opposite has been proven true. In reality, it may be even worse than having us all drink regular soda.

According to a study by the University of Texas Health Science Center, “drinking diet soft drinks seemed to be much more closely related to the incidence of becoming overweight or obese [compared to regular soda] (1).”

How does diet soda make you fat?

A new 14-year study of over 60 thousand women published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed some horrific facts that should make us all cringe at the thought of drinking diet drinks (2).

1. Diet sodas increased the risk of diabetes more than sugar sweetened sodas.
2. The average diet soda drinker consumes 3 diet drinks a day.
3. Those that drank one 12-ounce diet soda per day had a 33% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and those who drank one 20-ounce diet soda had a 66% increased risk.
4. There was a 200% increased risk of obesity in diet soda drinkers.
5. Those that drank diet sodas drank twice as much as those who drank sugar sweetened sodas because artificial sweeteners are more addictive and are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than regular sugar.

One might try to argue that people who are overweight and just about to get diabetes would drink more diet sodas, but they scientifically controlled for body weight. They found the artificial sweeteners increased diabetes independent of body weight.

Diet soda makes you gain weight by:

1. Artificial sweeteners are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than regular sugar. This activates our genetically programmed preference for sweet taste more than any other substance.
2. Your metabolism is fooled into think sugar is coming. Your body reacts by pumping out the fat storage hormone, insulin, which causes an increase in belly fat.
3. You burn fewer calories every day because it fools and slows down your metabolism.
4. It causes hunger and cravings for additional sugar and starchy carbs like pasta, potatoes, and bread.

So what is a good alternative to diet sodas?

The best alternatives are good old water. You can add lemon, cucumber, or even try infusing it with fruit. Unsweetened iced teas are great because you have plenty of varieties like green, white, black, oolong, red. Plus teas come with a wide array of antioxidants.

Please share this page with your friends and family to help them kick the diet soda habit.

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