"Thin" continues to be the Holy Grail of beauty and many take dangerous measures to attain what is commonly accepted as the aesthetic ideal.

From dieting to fasting to prescription diet aids, the battle of the bulge rages on. Aspartame, one of the most commonly used diet aids, has been linked to more than 75 symptoms reported to the FDA; 75 percent of all non-drug complaints to the FDA are related to the sweetener.

Aspartame, found in products such as Equal and Nutrasweet, is a sweetener that promises one hundred times the sweetness of sugar with fewer calories.

Most who use the product do not realize what they are ingesting.

"Aspartame is composed of the amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid, methanol and formaldehyde," Biochemist Eric Joelsen said. "It is a profound neuro-toxin, and once heated above 86 degrees, it becomes free methanol and is absorbed into the system even faster."

Symptoms related to aspartame include Lupus, birth defects and brain tumors.

Additionally, aspartame depletes the chromium stores from the body. Chromium is essential for proper blood sugar function.

The claim that aspartame is a good diet aid is countered by evidence that the sweetener can block the production of serotonin, resulting in increased cravings for carbohydrates. That, coupled with the blood sugar imbalance that aspartame creates can result in weight gain.

"Aspartame dehydrates you," nutritionist Anna Nyquist said. "People who drink aspartame containing soft drinks will find themselves reaching for another because their thirsts aren't quenched and are even worse than before."

There are substitutes available for people who crave the sweetness of sugar without the calories. Nyquist suggests indulging in one regular soft drink to satisfy sugar cravings or mixing juice with sparkling water.

"People don't have to poison themselves to cut calories," Nyquist said.

"Better, more natural alternatives are stevia, xylitol, maltitol, even sucralose, a similar neuro-toxin, is better than aspartame. Its dangers outweigh its benefits."

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