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Lacey Brems
Professor Lisa Packer
English / Food 1010
12 April 2015
Zero Calories Vs. A Sugary Mess
Most of people are aware that regular and diet soda are bad for your health, but
when it comes to which is worse, people have the wrong idea. I argue that diet soda is
just as bad for you as regular soda if not worse. The label may say diet soda, but it
doesnt make you lose weight. There are many health risks associated with drinking diet
soda along with being very addicting.
Many soda drinkers opt for diet over regular, thinking that zero calories and zero
sugar make diet drinks a healthier option. The diet drinkers may want to question whether
this is actually helping them slim down. Jillian Michaels, a health and wellness expert,
claimed that the diet soda labeled as calorie free isnt exactly accurate. Aspartame is
one of the chemicals in diet soda. Aspartame breaks down in the body into methanol and
amino acids, which generate calories. It has been suggested that diet soda actually
contributes to weight gain, not weight loss.
According to research at the University of Texas Health Science Center, those
who drank diet soda, even as little as one a day on average, did not lose weight and were
significantly more likely to become overweight than those that drank regular soft drinks.
The more diet soda they drank, the more likely they were to become overweight.
Artificial sweeteners found in diet drinks have been found to increase sugar cravings
because its not a natural source of sugar and the brain continues to want sugar not being

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satisfied. Just because diet soda doesnt contain the highest amounts of calories, doesnt
mean its not contributing to your waistline. One 12-ounce can contains about 150
calories, but most people dont consider all the sugar and additives.
There are many artificial sweeteners used to provide a desirable taste to drinks
without the added sugar. When you drink diet or regular soda youre not getting any
value in terms of vitamins or minerals. The sugar and acid in the fizzy drinks can eat
away the enamel on your teeth. The acid in soda over time strips away the enamel and
leaves your teeth vulnerable to cavities. According to Janet Baily in Good Housekeeping,
diet and regular soft drinks do equal damage and to drink lighter colored drinks if
possible. Bailey wrote that drinking dark soda is more destructive on your teeth.
Drinking diet soda has been linked with numerous health problems: diabetes,
heart attack and stroke. In the article, The Diet Soda Debate, by Matt McMillen, he
claims, Artificial sweeteners may raise blood sugar levels more than sugar itself by
altering gut bacteria, potentially leading to diabetes. McMillen also argues, According
to the American College of Cardiology that drinking diet soda is a bigger risk of heart
attacks among healthy people. The more soda you drink the more hazardous it is to your
health. An article in Time Magazine wrote by Mandy Oaklander, she quotes a study by
nutritionist epidemiologist Jennifer Nettleton, PhD. Through observational study,
drinking at least one diet soda a day was associated with 67% greater risk for type 2
diabetes compared to people who never drank it. This is a daunting rate and we need to
be prepared for the outcome.

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Diet soda is so addicting and can be the hardest to resist. Some may be addicted to
the caffeine, but that doesnt explain those that prefer caffeine- free varieties. Experts say
that people can become both psychologically and physically dependent on it. According
to an article by Nathaniel Morris, he argues, half of Americans drink diet soda on a
regular basis, and we drink 20 percent more than we did 15 years ago. This is crazy to
me. Diet soda is so harmful. Nathaniel emphasizes that in 2011, Diet Coke made
headlines after passing Pepsi to become the second most popular domestic soda.
In my own experience with soda I was much more addicted to diet soda. I had to
have one first thing when I woke up and right before I went to bed. I started drinking
soda when I was younger and the longer time went on, the more diet soda I would drink. I
thought I was turning into a crazy monster always wanting another soda. Thats when I
knew it was time to stop the cycle. Since then I have found myself more concerned about
my consumption and worrying about any health side effects.
Drinking the fizzy, sweet, oh so burning diet soda drink we really
need to stick to what we know. With each study that comes out about
diet and regular soda we need to think about our health, how addictive
soda is, and our weight. I do agree with everything in moderation, but
next time Im offered to super size my diet drink I think Ill consider it
twice.

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Works Cited
Bailey J. Diet soda: ok for your teeth?. Good Housekeeping [serial online]. 2005:58. A
Available from: Academic OneFile, Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 30, 2015.
McMillen, Matt Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH on September 18, 2014
Michaels, Jillian http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/myth-diet-soda web
12 April 2015
Oaklanlander, Mandy Oaklander. "Should I Drink Diet Soda." n.d.: n. pag. Web.
Pepper, Leslie. "Is Diet Soda Making You Fat?." Harper's Bazaar 3536 (2006): 58. T
TOPIC search. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.

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ARGUMENT ESSAY
RHETORICAL RATIONALE
1. Describe your writing process for the argument essay. Look back at the process work
you did and trace your thinking about your topic and about your writing.
Ive always had a hard time writing papers. I didnt want to make an outline, but Im glad
I did. It made it a lot easier to get out my thoughts. I feel like it was easier to write
because of the outline.
2. Describe the rhetorical situation as you see it for your argument essay. (Rhetorical
Situation = ability to communicate and/or persuade effectively.) How did you utilize the
rhetorical appeals in your writing?
I think using the Rhetoric appeals makes my paper my interesting. I had sayings from
Julian Michaels and a great university. I feel that without the use of those I wouldnt have
anything to back up my side of how diet soda is bad for you.
3. Describe the revisions you made in your essay and discuss why you made those
revisions. Discuss your use of the They Say/I Say text. Did the templates help you? Did
the guidelines help you in your essay?
They Say/ I Say helped a lot. I couldnt think of how to effectively include where I got my
information from and the books templates had great ideas.
4. What did you learn about research and about the writing process in these assignments?
Ive always used the words, said and stated. Now I have learned to use better verbs for
my paper to make it interesting. I also learned to check my websites. I had no idea there
are so many websites that may or may not be true.
5. Any other thoughts or comments?
I defiantly love the book, They Say/ I Say. I plan on keeping this for my next English
class.