Research

Adherence

Observational studies show a positive association between NNS consumption and weight gain or obesity incidence, suggesting a complex relationship where NNS use may be a marker for existing weight issues rather than a cause.

While some long-term studies link diet drink consumption to weight gain, this is likely because people who are already gaining weight switch to diet drinks. If you are trying to lose weight, swapping sugary drinks for diet drinks is still a valid strategy to reduce calories, but you must be aware that you might be using them to justify other poor food choices.

LimitedQualifiesLOW confidence
A 2008 study examining the San Antonio Heart Study population reported a positive dose-response association between artificially sweetened beverage consumption... and incidence of overweight/obesity... The association was consistent across sex and ethnicity; overall, the change in BMI was 47% greater among NNS users than nonusers after adjusting for baseline BMI and demographic and behavioral characteristics.
Christopher D. Gardner et al. · Diabetes Care · 2012

Why this rating

Based on prospective observational studies which are limited by confounding and reverse causality, as explicitly stated by the authors.

Source

Nonnutritive Sweeteners: Current Use and Health Perspectives

Christopher D. Gardner et al. · Diabetes Care · 2012

DOI 10.2337/dc12-9002

narrative_reviewCited 225×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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