How do products sweetened with aspartame aid weight management?

With nearly two out of three Americans classified as overweight or obese, taking steps to assure appropriate calorie intake is important for many people. Because products with aspartame are lower in calories that their sugar-sweetened counterparts, using products with aspartame together with regular physical activity can help with weight management.

Substituting a packet of tabletop sweetener with aspartame for two teaspoons of sugar three times daily - in coffee, on cereal and in ice tea, for example—adds up to a savings of about 100 calories. Over the course of a year, this adds up to about 36,500 calories which could result in a 10-pound weight loss over a year.

In addition, a 3-year scientific study done at Harvard Medical School showed that aspartame was a valuable aid to a long-term weight management program that included diet and physical activity.