Diet soda is slowly losing its hold on people's minds. Its sales fell 6.8% this year. Health fears about the artificial sweeteners used in zero- and low-calorie sodas—like aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium—are chasing consumers away.

As the Wall Street Journal reports:
In [a March survey by] Mintel, 46% agreed artificially sweetened soda is "unhealthy,'' including more than 50% of consumers younger than 35.

In a recent survey by Datamonitor, 28% of U.S. respondents said they avoid low-calorie sweeteners entirely and another 23% said they try to limit intake.
Is this trend prevalent elsewhere around the world as well?

Artificial sweeteners have been linked to weight gain after studies showed they could lead to obesity and diabetes.