A 2.2 billion dollar industry to help people lose weight through artificial sweeteners may be contributing to type 2 diabetes, researchers have warned. The study, published in the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports, also found that people who use low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) are more likely to gain weight, the exact opposite of what consumers expect.

This is despite controlled clinical trials showing that artificial sweeteners do lead to weight loss, the research added. "There has been a 200 percent increase in LCS usage among children and a 54 percent increase among adults in the past 20 years," said study researcher Peter Clifton from the University of South Australia.