Fact or Fiction? Drinking diet soda will help you lose weight.

Written by Barbie Broschart   
Verdict: Fiction

This is a big one. On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer: A 12-ounce can of regular cola has 140 calories. Diet soda, on the other hand, has no calories. While switching to diet soda may mean you’ll take in fewer calories, there is no research that shows drinking diet soda independently will actually help you lose weight.

In fact, some studies have actually found the opposite to be true. A University of Texas study found that not only did drinking diet soda not promote weight loss, but that for every can of diet soda consumed a day, a person’s risk of obesity increased by 41%. The researchers suspect that people tend to overcompensate with other calories when they choose a diet beverage. How many times have you heard someone order a Big Mac with large fries and a Diet Coke, after all?

Another possibility lies in the artificial sweeteners. Some studies have shown that when they’re included in products that provide few or zero calories, they actually stimulate your appetite, causing you to eat more than you normally would. Why? Some theories suggest that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the body’s ability to naturally sense a food’s sweetness and gauge calorie amounts, thereby leading you to seek more calorie-dense foods.

That said, there’s no reason why you should completely abandon drinking diet soda. As with anything, it’s best to have it in moderation. Just remember that diet soda isn’t the only beverage you should be drinking — and it surely will not be your weight loss savior. You need to pay attention to what’s on your plate, not just what’s in your glass.