Artificial Sweeteners or Sugar?

The following appeared in the health section of a magazine on trends and lifestyles:

“People who use the artificial sweetener aspartame are better off consuming sugar, since aspartame can actually contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, high levels of aspartame have been shown to trigger a craving for food by depleting the brain of a chemical that registers satiety, or the sense of being full. Furthermore, studies suggest that sugars, if consumed after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, actually enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Consequently, those who drink aspartame-sweetened juices after exercise will also lose this

calorie-burning benefit. Thus it appears that people consuming aspartame rather than sugar are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.

The argument is reasonably well thought. The writer points to the fact that higher level of aspartame can trigger craving for food. This fact definitely makes aspartame less attractive for people who control their diets in order to control weight. The writer further supports his argument by pointing to the fact that sugar and not aspartame can increase the body's fat burning abilities if consumed after 45 minutes of continuous exercise. Again for people exercising to burn fats and stay trim this is another strong reason to take sugar. If the ultimate aim is to loose weight, then this argument undoubtedly presents good reasons to consume sugar instead of aspartame.

However, this reasoning will fall flat on its face if the dietary aims are not weight reduction. For example this reasoning cannot apply to people  following an alternative diet because they are suffering from diabetes or they are very thin people who wish to gain weight. The argument also safely ignores the possibility of the presence of other artificial sweeteners that may not have the same side-effects as aspartame. One may also counter-argue that the increase in appetite may not be such a bad thing if the person in question eats more fruits and salad. In effect it may actually be a good thing for somebody suffering from lack of appetite. The writer's argument is also silent about the real benefits one may get from the calorie burning effects of sugar given the fact that the sugar will also bring in more calories. If the extra calories that sugar bring are all that one burns due to increase in fat burning rate, the option to switch to sugar would no longer remain as attractive. 

Concluding, the argument seems to focus on people who wish to reduce their weight but generalizes the reasoning for everybody. Even for its key audience some key questions still remain unanswered. This affects the strength of reasoning.