There’s been plenty of conjecture that diet beverages hinder weight loss, but Temple is putting it to the test in a new study by comparing it with water. There should not be a difference between zero-calorie diet beverages and water, at least, academically. Gary Foster, director of Temple’s Center for Obesity Research and Education, suggests that the sweet flavors in some diet beverages may lead to further cravings of that sweet taste, which can cause diets to fall off track.