[BurningFrog]

> * reduced metabolism (leading to more weight gain than a subjectively equivalent amount of sugar),*

Doesn't that mean aspartame somehow contains more energy than sugar?

I mean, assuming the increased weight is fat, that is stored extra energy.

[oaktrout]

There is some evidence that artificial sweeteners increase insulin resistance: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7014832/

I have also heard that because artificial sweeteners increase insulin levels without increasing blood glucose to the same extent that sugars would, this leads to a blood sugar drop which induces increased eating.

[mpol]

The idea works longterm. You take aspartame, which has a sweet taste but no energy. Your body starts all kinds of digestive functions and gets confused. After a lot of aspartame it doesn't know how to respond to sweet food anymore.