Do "diet" foods pack on pounds?

Feeling guilty for choosing the regular ice cream rather than the sugar-free frozen yogurt? Don't. A new study suggests that consuming diet foods and diet drinks may not help keep pounds off and may even lead to weight gain. In the article, one researcher speculates that the body can't be easily fooled and makes up for the missing calories and more. He says people may even crave more sweets when diet foods are eaten. However, researchers are conflicting in their opinions on the topic and it's certainly not conclusive. As a dietitian, I think that reduced calorie foods can be part of a weight loss diet by helping cut down on calorie intake if and only if they are still viewed as a dessert or indulgence and limited in the same way the high-calorie food would be. Remember the "Snackwells syndrome?" If you feel more satisfied with a small portion of the luscious, full-fat Haagen Dazs than the sugar-free frozen yogurt, than by all means savor every (small) bite of the real thing.