Healthy Eating Tips

Pop quiz! What’s the single biggest source of calories for Americans? White bread? Big Macs? Actually, try pop. The average American drinks about two cans of the stuff every day. “But I drink diet pop,” you say. “With no calories or sugar, it’s the perfect alternative for weight watchers.... Right?”

Not so fast. Before you pop the top off the caramel-coloured bubbly, know this: guzzling diet pop comes with its own set of side effects that may harm your health—from kickstarting kidney problems to adding inches to your waistline. (Why soda makes you fat!)

Unfortunately, diet pop is more in vogue than ever. Kids consume the stuff at more than double the rate of last decade, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Among adults, consumption has grown almost 25%.

But knowing these 7 side effects of drinking diet pop may help you kick the can for good.

Plus: Discover the biggest secret to weight loss with the world's simplest diet—The Eat, This Not That No-Diet Diet!