# I hereby ban the totally retarded adage - "fat guy was drinking diet coke LOL"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [January 22, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457 "2008-01-22T03:35:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/1 "2008-01-22T03:35:15Z")
Someone said this at lunchtime at work today, and I was reminded once again how completely stupid, embarrassing, incorrect, and ultimately unreasonable this anecdote is.
> [@every quipping moron](#):
>
> What really gets me is when you see someone, usually a big fat guy, order a ton of food and then wash it down with **Diet** coke! What are they thinking?
Guess what - you haven’t caught the fat person in some sort of logic trap! They’re not doing something that makes no sense! There’s no self-delusion or hypocrisy at work!
Drinking soda is the quickest and easiest way to add a ton of completely pointless, junky, empty calories to one’s diet. Even a small can of soda pushes 200 calories, when the average person should be aiming for a daily intake of around 2000 calories. If a person is drinking zero-calorie diet soda, **what they’re doing makes sense because they aren’t adding extra useless calories to their diet**.
Don’t get me wrong, I think that fat acceptance is one of the most dangerous and disturbing trends in politically correct America, but this statement, which you hear **all the time** , is completely pointless and meaningless!
---
### Author:  [@fatgail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fatgail)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/2 "2008-01-22T03:38:20Z")
I have a couple of points.
1. you’re an idiot for using the term “retarded” in your title PARTICULARLY outside of the pit.
2. I am a fatty of ridiculous porportions and I love, nay, am HOOKED ON diet coke, probably to a dangerous degree. I think regular coke tastes like syrup and it leaves a film in my mouth. Diet Coke is the sweat from an Angel’s brow, bottled and sent to us on the wings of a unicorn.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/3 "2008-01-22T03:43:09Z")
I started drinking Diet Coke simply because I was diabetic and was avoiding sugar.
Now I drink it because it tastes \*much \* better to me.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/4 "2008-01-22T03:50:57Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to The BBQ Pit.
While sipping an ice-cold Diet Coke.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/5 "2008-01-22T03:53:19Z")
Nevermind.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/6 "2008-01-22T03:54:46Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW]
I think that fat acceptance is one of the most dangerous and disturbing trends in politically correct America,
[/QUOTE]
Dick.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/7 "2008-01-22T03:59:19Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise]
Dick.
[/QUOTE]
And _nobody_ likes a skinny dick.
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### Author:  [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/8 "2008-01-22T04:11:29Z")
Mmmm. Diet Coke.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/9 "2008-01-22T04:13:19Z")
Pepsi Jazz isn’t available in regular, only Diet. And you’ll get my Jazz when you pry from my shaking, caffeinated fingers.
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### Author:  [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/10 "2008-01-22T04:14:10Z")
Coke Zero is the sweat from the balls of the seraphim! If they have balls, that is.
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### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/11 "2008-01-22T04:17:40Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise]
Dick.
[/QUOTE]
Presuming you advocate Dick-Lite. One third less filling, when you just have to have some dick.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/12 "2008-01-22T04:19:36Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats]
Presuming you advocate Dick-Lite. One third less filling, when you just have to have some dick.
[/QUOTE]
And less filling, when served on ice.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/13 "2008-01-22T04:20:11Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats]
Presuming you advocate Dick-Lite. One third less filling, when you just have to have some dick.
[/QUOTE]
So would that be less likely to get one pregnant then? Dick-Lite-one third of the sperm!
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### Author:  [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/14 "2008-01-22T04:23:33Z")
I tend to get a Happy Meal when my husband forces me to McDonald’s. With a diet Coke. The reaction of people is usually priceless.
But I get a small snack and usually a Hot Wheels or a Bionicle to boot, so other people can get bent.
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### Author:  [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/15 "2008-01-22T04:37:33Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW]
If a person is drinking zero-calorie diet soda, **what they’re doing makes sense because they aren’t adding extra useless calories to their diet**
[/QUOTE]
Well yeah, but I think what people are getting at is that they’re adding tons of extra calories to their diets by other means, so why should soda be the one avenue where they go with the healthy choice.
I’m not saying that it was ever a good joke or anything, but I’m not quite grasping your logic here.
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### Author:  [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/16 "2008-01-22T04:42:11Z")
The point is that soda is an easy place to make a substitution for a lower calorie item, and since way, way too many calories is worse than just way too many calories, making that substitution makes sense, even if you make other bad choices.
If a fat person is under the delusion that they can eat big heavy meals and drink diet coke, and still lose weight, that’s a problem. But if they actually like diet coke, or just realize that it’s a small step towards not gaining as much weight, their position is logical.
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### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/17 "2008-01-22T04:44:00Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star]
Well yeah, but I think what people are getting at is that they’re adding tons of extra calories to their diets by other means, so why should soda be the one avenue where they go with the healthy choice.
[/QUOTE]
Even if they’re adding 1500 calories by other means, why mock them for the one _smart_ dietary choice they’re making?
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### Author:  [@Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kneepants_Erasmus_the_Humanist)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/18 "2008-01-22T04:44:29Z")
Took too long with my long bitchy post, that I didn’t notice that everyone is playing nice now.
Ergo:
Nevermind.
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### Author:  [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/19 "2008-01-22T04:52:41Z")
[QUOTE=Jophiel]
Even if they’re adding 1500 calories by other means, why mock them for the one _smart_ dietary choice they’re making?
[/QUOTE]
I dunno, if you drive your car off a cliff is the seat belt really going to help?
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hereby-ban-the-totally-retarded-adage-fat-guy-was-drinking-diet-coke-lol/434457/20 "2008-01-22T04:56:02Z")
[QUOTE=Snarky\_Kong]
I dunno, if you drive your car off a cliff is the seat belt really going to help?
[/QUOTE]
Well, how big of a cliff?
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