# The Diet Coke Phenomena **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [July 13, 2007, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614 "2007-07-13T06:00:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AThingWithFeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@AThingWithFeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AThingWithFeathers)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/21 "2007-07-13T18:39:38Z")
[QUOTE=Brynda] Here’s another one—I know only two people who are addicted to non-alcoholic drinks, and DC is the drug of choice for both of them. [/QUOTE] I always order diet coke, and Brynda’s got it right. I get headaches if I don’t drink it. It’s possible that people who drink Diet Coke have more brand loyalty, or just plain like it more. Some have told me that it’s an acquired taste (I grew up with it, my dad was a diabetic), and all diet sodas taste very different (at least to my palate they do). However, many people just order a coke because that’s what everyone else is getting or because they have a habit of ordering regular soda rather than actually liking it. Coke Light is made with Splenda if I’m correct. _That_ is definitely an acquired taste; it leaves an odd aftertaste as well. But regular Coke is sugary and disgusting! ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/22 "2007-07-13T19:06:59Z")
[QUOTE=pepperlandgirl] In fact, I just opened the last one in my fridge, and there’s nothing like that sinking sensation when you realize it’s the last one and you can’t rush out to the store. [/QUOTE] I love it when I read a description of a feeling I never thought of putting into words before, but that I immediately recognize and identify with. That “last Diet Coke” down is one I know well. I laugh at all the scare-mongering people do over artificial sweeteners, but I swear someday they’ll discover that aspartame is more addictive than meth, but only in humans, not lab animals. I can drink coffee or tea and stop whenever I want, but one diet soda and I’m off the wagon. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/23 "2007-07-13T19:57:13Z")
our encryption pop machine has I buttons: 1 coke 1 sprite like something 1 something that slips my mind, and _5_ diet coke buttons. There’s gotta be SOMETHING goin on here. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/24 "2007-07-13T20:28:23Z")
[QUOTE=jharvey963] 6 cans a day? That’s pretty light weight. 😃 I have a 44-oz cup that I fill up 3 times a day, plus 5 or 6 cans during the course of a day. And I can quit any time I want. No, really. 😃 J. [/QUOTE] 😃 2 2-liter bottles a day! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/25 "2007-07-13T20:37:08Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Last time I was at Heathrow, it was Coke Light. This was 2003 and it came in the littlest cans you ever did see. Seven ounces, maybe. [/QUOTE] I was there last week and got Coke Light when I ordered a Diet Coke. ---
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/26 "2007-07-13T20:52:47Z")
the airplane thing… that kinda boggles my mind. I’d never have thought. I’m a diet soda drinker, but I’ve never been on a long haul flight, so I really can’t imagine why they’d order alcohol all throughout and diet coke at the end. I think I’d pick one and stick with it. as for ordering them like mad in restaurants, well, sugared soft drinks can actually fill you up a bit. Diet Coke has no sugar, so it doesn’t stimulate glycolysis and trick your body into thinking it’s food. I saw some article in a magazine talking about how sugared soda drinkers eat less of their meal because their drinks contribute to the signals that tell them they’re full. Don’t quote me on it, but it makes sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/27 "2007-07-13T21:06:36Z")
[QUOTE=Si Amigo] I was there last week and got Coke Light when I ordered a Diet Coke. [/QUOTE] Those were probably bought from discount wholesalers who import Coke Light-branded cans from continental Europe. If you read the labels they sometimes have Cyrillic or even Arabic writing on them. UK low calorie Coke is branded Diet Coke. They taste the same to me though. [QUOTE=pepperlandgirl] Diet Coke (not Coke Light) is available in Italy. My addiction is such that I did pay the unbelievable prices (4 freaking euros for a can?! They must have saw me coming a mile away…) [/quote] I can assure you it doesn’t normally cost that much. In shops round here it’s 55p or 60p a can (about a dollar) for individual cans, obviously much cheaper in multipacks. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/28 "2007-07-13T22:33:33Z")
What **Usram** said. Buy it in supermarket multipacks and the price starts looking a bit better, but you’re doing well to find single (12oz) cans for 50p. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/29 "2007-07-17T11:04:36Z")
(sorry to bump and hijack all at once, but:) So, hold on, now - people who drink Diet Coke actually _dislike_ the taste of regular Coke? Oh man, I drink Diet Coke most of the time, for when I want a flavory beverage without senseless calories. But then every once in a while I treat myself to a regular Coke. So crisp! So spicy! So fizzy! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/30 "2007-07-17T11:27:02Z")
So is **Coke Zero** something different again? It seems to have entirely replaced Diet Coke here in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/31 "2007-07-17T11:28:32Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/32 "2007-07-17T11:39:20Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Except that in Britain it’s Diet Coke. [/QUOTE] Britain’s that island just west of Europe, right? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/33 "2007-07-17T11:58:07Z")
If people drink Diet Coke for the caffeine, it’s pretty much the equivalent of trying to get high on stems and seeds. It has maybe a third of the caffeine of a cup of coffee. It must be either the aspartame or some secret ingredient that makes people addicts. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/34 "2007-07-17T12:26:59Z")
I have long held the paranoid theory that there is something in Diet Coke that not only makes it highly addictive but somehow secretly fattens people up. Do you like my new tin foil hat? ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/35 "2007-07-17T13:13:17Z")
[QUOTE=Shirley Ujest] I have long held the paranoid theory that there is something in Diet Coke that not only makes it highly addictive but somehow secretly fattens people up. Do you like my new tin foil hat? [/QUOTE] Yes, it’s very shiny. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/36 "2007-07-17T13:17:03Z")
[QUOTE=Shirley Ujest] Do you like my new tin foil hat? [/QUOTE] Yes, just don’t spill any Diet Coke on it or it’ll corrode. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/37 "2007-07-17T13:35:11Z")
[QUOTE=AThingWithFeathers] all diet sodas taste very different [/QUOTE] You ain’t kiddin’. When I’m out my preference is for any of the variations on Diet Dr Pepper, but since you usually can’t find that in a restaurant’s fountain, I go with Diet Coke as the default. But, as an impoverished public servant, I buy only store-brand sodas for my home, and have become something of a connoisseuse of the diet varieties. Kroger’s Diet Dr. K is pretty good; it tastes very much like Diet Dr Pepper. Maybe the two doctors studied together. Publix’s diet root beer and Kroger’s diet root beer are both tasty, but they have distinct flavors; I’m sure I wouldn’t mistake one for the other. But I have found across the board that all store-brand diet **colas** are awful. I don’t know what it is, but that seems to be the one flavor that none of the store brands can get right. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/38 "2007-07-17T13:37:59Z")
[QUOTE=shimmery] (sorry to bump and hijack all at once, but:) So, hold on, now - people who drink Diet Coke actually _dislike_ the taste of regular Coke? Oh man, I drink Diet Coke most of the time, for when I want a flavory beverage without senseless calories. But then every once in a while I treat myself to a regular Coke. So crisp! So spicy! So fizzy! [/QUOTE] Absolutely. Regular Coke (and Pepsi, for that matter; I’m a Diet Pepsi addict myself) is far, far too sweet and cloying to drink regularly. My first thought on seeing the waitress’s claim that Diet Coke drinkers drink three times as much as regular Coke drinkers was “Well, yeah, I’d be nursing a regular Coke too.” It’s easier to take larger swigs of a diet soda. I’ve had a few people ask me “How can you drink that? It’s like flavored water.” That happens to be exactly why I like diet soda. It serves as a good palate cleanser and is far more refreshing to drink with a meal than a normal soda. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/39 "2007-07-17T13:43:08Z")
[QUOTE=Bosstone] Absolutely. Regular Coke (and Pepsi, for that matter; I’m a Diet Pepsi addict myself) is far, far too sweet and cloying to drink regularly. My first thought on seeing the waitress’s claim that Diet Coke drinkers drink three times as much as regular Coke drinkers was “Well, yeah, I’d be nursing a regular Coke too.” It’s easier to take larger swigs of a diet soda. I’ve had a few people ask me “How can you drink that? It’s like flavored water.” That happens to be exactly why I like diet soda. It serves as a good palate cleanser and is far more refreshing to drink with a meal than a normal soda. [/QUOTE] Hm, okay. It seems like we’re saying the same thing from opposite points of view, then. As a day to day beverage, to quench thirst or cleanse the palate, Diet Coke is indeed the winner. But that still doesn’t mean I think it tastes _great_. And that once in a while regular Coke is more of a snack unto itself than a meal-side beverage. It’s just that once in a while, when I get the craving, I look forward to that Coke with a passion that I could never feel for Diet Coke. I guess that doesn’t explain why I like Coke Light, though. Looks like I’ve got some Coke-related soul searching to do… ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614/40 "2007-07-17T14:04:48Z")
The only difference being I avoid non-diet cola at all costs. 🙂 Though, I will say that I like drinking regular root beer or citrus soda every now and then; it’s mainly just Coke and Pepsi that I can’t stand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diet-coke-phenomena/411614.md?page=3)