I may be cynical but artificial sweeteners are also cheaper than sugar and 'less calories' = good is logical. It's also a red herring one the case of soft drinks. Aside from tasting like someone (we all know who) dipped their willy in them. Ronald McOliver or whatever he's called.
Drink water, coffee, tea, actual fruit juice (in moderation if diabetic) or milk. Sugary soft drinks were bad but the replacements are worse on "every" level. Particularly coupled with fast food (which isn't a problem in itself - high consumption of it is - still got the, albeit minimally processed, shish/kofte/chicken/lamb/beef/pepper/onion kebab plus salad with sumac, olive oil, pitta, lemon, hummus, and extra chillis, craving. With a large bowl of arnavut ciğeri as a side. COVID is bloody weird. I don't feel ill though. The 'not all fast food is bad', mostly true, mental excuse. Two or three triple cheeseburgers from McDonalds is getting there - a lovely meal in itself.)
I'll keep occasionally banging this drum. The artificial sweeteners thing, in the UK, disproportionately affects the poor and the uninformed. Tap water is pretty good with ice.