Here's how hard it is: Researchers find that diet soda gets fat

Having a healthy diet can be much harder than you think, especially if you are in the habit of eating zero-calorie or dietary foods. At first, it is normal to think that if a product has no calories, it does not get fat, but that is definitely not true.

A University of Texas study found that foods labeled as calorie-free help us get fat, especially in the abdominal region. Previous research has shown that just as calorie-free food consumption has risen, so have obesity levels in the US.

The reason for this may be that artificial sweeteners alter the natural bacteria in the human gut, which ultimately increases waist circumference. To reach this conclusion, the eating habits of 749 adults were evaluated for a decade.

Alert

Researchers have noticed something intriguing: Those who drink zero or diet soda have a three times higher waist circumference than those who do not drink this type. The situation is even more complicated in people who use sweetener regularly, in foods and beverages other than soda.

On average the waist of non-sweeteners and diet sodas has increased by 2 cm in 10 years; while the occasional users of these products increased 4.65 cm; and that of regular users grew 8.03 cm. So, isn't it time for you to stop drinking that kind of drink?