New York (CNN Business) There's nothing deceptive or dishonest about soda makers using the word "diet" to describe the reduced calorie alternatives to their traditional sugary soft drinks, a federal appellate court has ruled.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' three judge panel has upheld a lower court's dismissal of a California woman's lawsuit against Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc. for alleged false or misleading advertising. Shana Becerra of Santa Rosa, California claimed the Diet Dr Pepper's beverage branding and marketing implied it would help people lose weight, according to court documents filed Monday.

Becerra filed her original lawsuit against Dr Pepper's former parent company in US District Court in October of 2017. The Bay Area resident sought class-action status on behalf of all Californians with similar grievances against Dr Pepper.

In her original complaint, Becerra said she has struggled with obesity since she was a child. She claimed she had purchased and drank Diet Dr Pepper for more than 13 years believing it would help her manage her weight, adding that she "did not receive what she paid for." A judge ultimately ruled against Becerra, who eventually appealed the case to the Ninth District Court, court records show.

In her latest appeal, Becerra claimed Diet Dr Pepper's marketing implied the beverage helps people lose or manage their weight. She argued the soda's use of Aspartame, a calorie-free artificial sweetener, in place of sugar, actually caused people like her to gain weight by interfering "with the body's ability to properly metabolize calories."

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