Does Consuming Diet Soda Affect Metabolic Syndrome?

According to The New York Times article titled Metabolic Syndrome Is Tied to Diet Soda,, a correlation exists between diet soda consumption and the condition known as metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome, according to the Times,

is the collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes that include abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and elevated blood pressure.

The research on which this observation is based suggests that meat and fried foods, particularly, are linked to metabolic syndrome, while dairy products offer some "protection." As far as diet soda consumption is concerned, it is not possible to say whether the link is due to something in diet soda, or whether it is linked to the behavior of diet soda drinkers. Diet and health books have often suggested that people are better off to quit drinking all forms of soda, diet and non-diet, but have never been too clear on why people should stop drinking diet soda except, perhaps, to give up carbonation and the chemicals in diet soda. So, who knows?