Data from large , epidemiologic studies support the existence of an association between  artificially-sweetened beverage  consumption and weight gain in children .
Epidemiological data have demonstrated an association between artificial sweetener use and  weight gain .
Evidence of a causal relationship linking artificial sweetener use to weight gain and other metabolic health effects is limited .
However , recent animal studies provide intriguing information that supports an active metabolic role of artificial sweeteners .
This systematic review examines the current literature on  artificial sweetener consumption in children and its health effects .
Effect of drinking soda sweetened with aspartame or high-fructose corn syrup on food intake and body weight.
To examine whether artificial sweeteners aid in the control of long-term food intake and body weight , we gave free-living , normal-weight subjects 1150 g soda sweetened with aspartame ( APM ) or high-fructose corn syrup ( HFCS ) per day . Relative to when no soda was given , drinking APM-sweetened soda for 3 wk significantly reduced calorie intake of both females ( n = 9 ) and males ( n = 21 ) and decreased the body weight of males but not of females . However , drinking HFCS-sweetened soda for 3 wk significantly increased the calorie intake and body weight of both sexes . Ingesting either type of soda reduced intake of sugar from the diet without affecting intake of other nutrients . Drinking large volumes of APM-sweetened soda , in contrast to drinking HFCS-sweetened soda , reduces sugar intake and thus may facilitate the control of calorie intake and body weight
Data from large , epidemiologic studies support the existence of an association between  artificially-sweetened beverage  consumption and weight gain in children .
Epidemiological data have demonstrated an association between artificial sweetener use and  weight gain .
Evidence of a causal relationship linking artificial sweetener use to weight gain and other metabolic health effects is limited .
However , recent animal studies provide intriguing information that supports an active metabolic role of artificial sweeteners .
This systematic review examines the current literature on  artificial sweetener consumption in children and its health effects .