Drinking diet sodas may be linked to more belly fat. Recent research has pinned all sorts of problems on the consumption of artificial sweeteners and it looks like belly fat might be another. “The researchers looked at findings from a previous study of more than 700 white and Latino people. They were all 65 or older when they entered the study from 1992 to 1996. Researchers tracked them for an average of just over nine years to see what happened as they aged. The study ended in 2004. The researchers found that the waistlines of people who never drank diet sodas increased by 0.8 inches for the length of the study. By comparison, occasional diet soda drinkers’ abdominal girth grew by 1.8 inches during the same time. Waistlines expanded by more than 3 inches in those who consumed the drinks every day, according to the study.” The team is quick to caution that correlation doesn’t mean the diet sodas are behind the weight gain. People might switch to diet soda after gaining weight, for example, making those with bigger waistlines more likely to drink diet soda. To be safe, the researchers recommend switching to tea or coffee for the caffeine or having seltzer water if you want carbonation.

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