You Know Taylor Swift Ain't Drinking That: Diet Sodas Lead To Weight Gain And What You Can Do About It

Have you ever noticed that people who drink diet soda are typically overweight? (With the exception, of course, of the celebs who endorse them) Have you ever wondered why? Is it something in the soft drink itself that's causing the caloric reaction, or something else? 

According to a study called The effect of non-caloric sweeteners on cognition, choice, and post-consumption satisfaction, the impact of diet soda's on weight gain may be more psychological than physiological. The study, over three experiments, concluded that people who drink diet soda experience a kind of sugar-disatisfaction that leads to cravings for the real thing, which makes them extra-vulnerable to the next high-calorie sugary temptation that comes along. 

In one experiment, 115 undergraduate students were given one of three unmarked beverages: Sprite (sugar-sweetened), Sprite Zero (artificially sweetened), and a lemon sparkling mineral water (unsweetened). After drinking the beverage, they were asked to choose one of three treats to take away with them: A pack of Trident Sugar-free gum, a bottle of spring water, and a pack of M&Ms. Those who drank the artificially sweetened beverage were 2.93 times more likely to take the pack of M&Ms than the others.

While the results of the study require some level of inference, and thus is not by any means conclusive, it does provide some insight into the possible psychological effects of diet soda. 

Here are a few things you can do if you find yourself reaching for that Coke Zero, presuming there is something to the study above and your diet soda is making you crave more sugar:

1. Ask yourself if you really need it.

2. Choose the real (sugar ) thing--it'll actually satisfy the craving you have.

3. Reach for water, or, if you need the caffeine a cup of coffee instead, for the latter doesn't contain all those crazy chemicals.

4. Realize what the aspartame is doing to you, and make a deliberate choice for something else. There's nothing diet about diet soda--it's just a marketing ploy to get people to buy it.

5. Wean yourself off soft drinks in general. If you love fizzy drinks, cut up some lemons and squeeze them into some soda water (but beware, some soda water brands are high in sodium). 

6. There are all kinds of things soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi do to your insides that are really bad for you. Don't be deceived by the fancy packaging and attractive colours--drinking too much of that stuff is making you feel sick. Break the bond and choose a healthier alternative.

7. Obviously, if you're drinking it once in a while, it's not a bad thing; but if you're addicted to it, if you're drinking it everyday, it's important to your health that you wean off.