CAN DIET SODA CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN ?

A diet soda can cause weight gain. Sometimes it's because we overestimate the calories we are saving from drinking diet soda, so we splurge on fries and cookies, thinking it's okay since we added a diet soda. So we end up actually eating more food. Your best bet is just to drink water. If you need the fizz, switch to sparking water.
"DIET" doesn't mean calorie free. "NO CALORIE" claim doesn't actually mean "ZERO CALORIE"
I have read in several places and blogs claiming that 'diet soda' help to loose weight or can cause or causes weight gain.
Some researches are inconclusive and the concluded ones are not convincing enough. The science isn't just there to back it up.
In my opinion, people who drinks diet soda gets overconfident about the so call diet soda and loose their focus regarding the amount of calorie they consume for a meal.

Last week, I was talking to a friend on how he was coping with his weight loss program, he was very proud on how he's been drinking a lot of diet soda to help him cut down on his weight but was "disappointed that nothing has changed yet!"
Apparently, he has been drinking of a lot diet soda unabated as if it's diet liquid medicine.
After we finished our aerobic exercise at the community park last night, my friend wanted to get some food for dinner and wanted me to go there with him. He took me to a fast food place, I decided to go inside with him, I was shocked  to see someone who claimed that diet soda is making him gain weight ordered his "usual" two double cheese whopper, two large fries and some chicken nuggets, then one extra large diet soda "to wash it down" he said.
Why are you getting diet soda if you are going to eat so much calorie? I asked him.
His defense was that; "the diet soda will prevent all these calories to be absorb into my system".
He was so wrong in his believe and practice, no wonder he has been gaining weight instead of loosing.
In fact, some research found out that the artificial sugar in diet soda can make you more hungry, causing you to eat more and thus promoting weight gain.
His question was; "should I order regular soda instead?"
And my answer to him and you that is reading this is--; "for you to loose weight and live healthy, you have to exercise regularly, eat healthy diet food, lots of fruits and veggies and I actually don't think you should drink any soda, DRINK WATER ALWAYS!"