ATLANTA - Over the past 10 years, the percentage of people downing diet drinks has jumped, according to a just-released study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA Today reports. "The data suggest that diet drinks may have replaced sugar drinks during this time," said Tala Fakhouri, the epidemiologist who led the study.

The analysis found that diet drink consumption rose for both men (a bump of 5%) and women (an increase of 3%) from 2000 to 2010. However, the number of people drinking diet beverages in the United States still hovers around 20%.

Consumption of sugar from regular soda fell from around 150 calories daily in 2000 to 91 calories per day in 2008. But that doesn€™t take into account all sugared beverages, including energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, soda and sweetened bottled waters. Of all sugared beverages, men gulped an average of 178 calories daily while females drank 103 calories daily.

The CDC study also found that diet drink consumption among females and males was about the same in 2010. More white adults (28%) drank diet beverages compared with black (10%) and Hispanic (14%) adults.

"We know that Americans, mainly white Americans, are increasing significantly the consumption of low-calorie diet beverages," said Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Sugared beverages have inaccurately been said to contribute to obesity. New York City€™s ban on sweetened bottled beverages and fountain drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces goes into effect March 12, 2013.