Like the article points out-- it has an effect on your seratonin production, causing you to feel like you're not yet full.

I suppose you can think of it like pot. It may not affect your metabolism directly, but it doesn't something to your brain that makes you eat more food. Only it doesn't have any of the fun aspects of pot.

(By the way, I no longer smoke pot, or anything, but it seemed an apt comparison. I agree that it's a bad thing to smoke lots and lots of pot, and I'm a very bad girl for suggesting there's anything fun about it. But it's still more fun than nutrasweet.)