[natecavanaugh]

Not only that, but often people will justify a larger calorie consumption because the diet soda is free. I imagine that this sort of thing would need to be tightly controlled for and show a direct mechanism of action. Especially since low calorie sweeteners vary so much in possible delivery and in structure (aspertame being an amino acid, sucralose a sugar alcohol, and using the powdered forms come mixed with maltodextrin, which is real sugar, but the liquid forms not having it).