Dear Diet Soda

A friend in Little Rock forwarded over a great column by Jennifer Christman that appeared in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last month. Unfortunately it's not online for free anymore. :-(

It puts a humorous spin on some of the studies that garnered so much press in February. Here are some choice parts:

"So why does it seem that everyone is trying to convince me to dump you? Two recent studies have linked you to potential health problems. A Purdue University study released in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience indicates that you and other artificially sweetened beverages and foods could be hazardous to sippers' waistlines. In the study, those who consumed food made with fake sugar gained more weight than those who consumed foods made with real sugar. All a person can say to that is "rats." Literally, rats. This study involved only a relative few rodents..."

and my feelings echo this:

"I could totally quit you. Easily. I could give you up. No problem. I'm keeping you around because I want to. Not because I have to. Or because I'm hooked or anything. I'm totally in control. In control and thirsty."

Mmm, a diet soda sounds good right now.