 According to a ridiculous new obesity study from the University of Bristol, drinking Diet Coke and other diet drinks is healthier than drinking water ... What? As reported by the Alliance for Natural Health , the lead scientist of the study, Peter Rogers, has stated that, 'the balance of evidence indicates that use of [ low-energy sweeteners ] in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced [energy intake] and [body weight], and possibly also when compared with water.' So, basically, what he is saying is that Diet Coke is better for you than water if you are trying to lose some weight. The study itself was backed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi via the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), which actually has representatives from both of the enormous corporations on its Eating Behaviour and Energy Balance Task Force. This means that studies backed by the ILSI are also backed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi so are their findings really reliable? Aspartame is bad for your health It seems that actually the latest Coca-Cola backed study is a complete farce because diet drinks generally contain aspartame . Aspartame acts as a sweetener, and is used in place of sugar or high fructose corn syrup, resulting in the drink containing fewer calories and therefore being labelled 'diet.' Switching to these diet versions of your favorite soda will supposedly help you to shed a few pounds . However, according to Global Healing Center, there are a lot of studies that actually show aspartame can have the opposite effect altogether. Artificial sweeteners do not activate your body's natural production of appetite supressing chemicals meaning that nothing triggers you to stop eating and you actually crave sugar. Craving sugar makes you more likely to be dependent on it gaining weight and potentially developing diabetes. Aside from aspartame's impact on your weight, the artificial sweetener has also been linked to leukemia and other health conditions, according to Live in The Now . It is therefore probably better to stay clear of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners altogether. Coca-Cola is trying to change its image Now that Coca-Cola beverages have widely been recognized as being bad for your health, the company is trying to change the public's perception of its products. In recent years, Coca-Cola launched an annual 'Women's Heart Health' campaign, partnering with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, as well as famous model Heidi Klum, to help raise awareness about heart disease in women. However, the truth is that Coca-Cola's many varieties of soda both diet and standard do nothing good for women in terms of heart health. Meanwhile, the latest study was unmasked by investigative journalists Anahad O'Connor and Candice Choi, as nothing more than a corporation paying front groups and scientists to spin the media and public in order to promote or protect the reputation of their products. According to Hang The Bankers , the latest study claiming that diet drinks are healthier than water is in complete contrast to other 'independent research associating diet drinks with weight gain.' So we probably shouldn't believe the seemingly biased and completely bizarre study that goes entirely against scientific fact, and is backed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra, an advisor to the National Obesity Forum, said that, 'to suggest that diet drinks are more healthy that [sic] drinking water is laughable unscientific nonsense. ... If you want good science you cannot allow corporate sponsorship of research.' Sources include: ANH-USA.gov Top10GrocerySecrets.com LiveInTheNow.com selfnews.com GMWatch.org HangTheBankers.com Science.selfnews.com 