More proof diet sodas do not work

200 more calories a day.
That's the additional number of calories you would consume per day if 1) you are overweight; and 2) you drink diet soda.
In other words, drinking a diet soda actually has the opposite effect.
What's the explanation?
Because people feel they are saving calories in one area, they tend to overcompensate in another.
In other words, they eat more.
The above statistics is part of the findings of a new study by Johns Hopkins University scientists.  The study accessed the health data of nearly 24,000 U.S. adults who took part in dietary and nutrition surveys from 1999 to 2010.

“Although overweight and obese adults who drink diet soda eat a comparable amount of total calories as heavier adults who drink sugary beverages, they consume significantly more calories from solid food at both meals and snacks,” says Dr. Sara Bleich, a professor at the university’s Bloomberg School.
For people who were overweight that figure dropped to 88 more calories versus someone who drinks the regular type of soda.

However if you are of normal weight (someone who is least likely to drink a diet soda the study found you would consume 73 fewer daily calories from food.