The Connection Between Diet Soda and Overeating
By Jon Herring

I'm sure you've heard this line before: "I'll have a double cheeseburger, a large order of fries, a hot fudge sundae ... oh, and a DIET soda."

I expect many people use ordering a diet soda as an excuse to overindulge. The thinking must go something like, "I'm saving so many calories on my drink, so I'm going to go ahead and order dessert too."

But it turns out there's also a physiological connection between overeating and diet sodas. Several studies have shown that they actually make you feel hungrier and prompt you to eat even more.

Peter Dingle - a nutritional toxicologist at Murdoch University in Australia - found that diet products don't satisfy the way real food does.

Consequently, your brain never gets the "I'm full" message. Purdue University researchers came to the same conclusion. Even worse, they found that the artificial sweetener in diet soda is a neuro-stimulant that actually fires up your appetite.

I'm not aware of any research proving that "diet" foods sweetened with artificial sweeteners have any benefit for long-term weight control. If you want to avoid overeating, you have to eat foods that give your body the "I'm full" signal. That's why you should base your meals on protein and healthy fats. These foods are satisfying and nutritious, and your best bet for staying lean and trim.