While it’s true diet soda has less calories, those calories come at a cost. Most students know of the new cafeteria policy, with different food options, most notably, the inclusion of sodas sold during the school day. In an attempt to keep us healthy, our options have been limited to Diet products, presumably in order to quell parental and national concerns of the so-called “obesity epidemic”. Some students are worried about diet soda being the only option of soda available, when it contains the controversial sweetener, aspartame, known better as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal Measure.

“I think our school is either very ignorant or very apathetic for trying to include [fake sugar] in the cafeteria… I think they should at least offer us healthier options,” senior Emily Meyers said. So while Metea’s attempt at keeping students healthy is appreciated, students would prefer to have the aspartame-free option of regular soda as well.

According to the Aspartame Information Center, aspartame is typically used because of its low calorie count and high potency. “aspartame is… approximately two hundred times sweeter than sucrose.” Despite the convenience, many say the calorie cuts aren’t worth the cost. The FDA has received several reports of symptoms such as migraines, fatigue, anxiety, nausea, and problems sleeping due to excess glutamate and aspartame. Those same chemicals, as according to the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, “should be avoided by pregnant women, infants, and children.”

By Madeline White