A study published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has shed some new light on the link between diet soda and weight gain, among other health impacts.  “Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised,” study researcher Helen P. Hazuda, Ph.D., a professor and chief of clinical epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio’s School of Medicine, said in a statement. “They may be free of calories but not of consequences.”

In addition, a second study on aspartame, the key sweetener in most diet beverages.  This study found aspartame raises blood sugar levels in mice prone to diabetes.

Researchers in the study found that the diet soda drinkers had waist circumference increases of 70 percent greater than those who non-diet soda drinkers. And people who drank diet soda the most frequently — at least two diet sodas a day — had waist circumference increases that were 500 percent greater than people who didn’t drink any diet soda, according to the doctors in the study.

My question is, when will it end?  For years, manufacturers have been pushing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and artificial sweeteners on us, claiming they are just as safe as natural sugars.  However, time and time again, science has proven them incorrect.  Take a look at any more metropolitan city in the US, its astounding as to the number of severely overweight and obese people walking around.  I recently spend time up in Montreal, Quebec, and was shocked at the difference in type of people.  Very, very few people were overweight, or even a little husky.  While shopping in the grocery stores and restaurants, it became apparent why.  Very few of the ingredients in their food contain artificial ingredients and sweeteners.  In fact, even the same products sold in the US and Canada have different ingredients, due to the nature of food laws up north.

All I know, is I can only control what goes in my body, and diet beverages, just got moved off the list….