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We're told time and again to cut down refined sugar in our diets to avoid obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and the rest. What do we do? Head straight for the "sugar-free" drinks and foods to satisfy our sweet tooths (should that be sweet teeth?).

You know the line..."I'll have a bar of chocolate, oh, and a diet coke, because I'm slimming." And, a lot of us switch to using artificial sweeteners in our cappuccinos and lattes.

But, have a quick look at the ingredient labels on the food, and you might be in for a shock. There are vast numbers of foods and drinks that contain sugar and sweeteners.

Part of the appeal is that sweet foods make us feel like consuming some more. One bit of chocolate is never enough. "May as well finish it - it's only a small bar." One biscuit leads to another, and so on - a great benefit for the manufacturers. No so good for a population rapidly gaining weight.

"So what?" I hear you shout. (At least I shouted it at the computer.) "If there is less sugar in my food, I must be lowering my risk of developing diabetes. And those artificial sweeteners have no calories, therefore no unsightly fat."

True. Most sweeteners are calorie-free, or almost so, but they are still chemicals - food additives that could cause side effects. Here's a brief rundown of the common sweeteners: -

Saccharin - discovered over 100 years ago - no calories - the first widely used artificial sweetener - still used today -safe - leaves a nasty aftertaste with some people (namely, me!).